


Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

by Grumpyface



Category: Naruto
Genre: BDSM, Dom/sub, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Romance, Rough Sex, Sex, Shameless Smut, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:15:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 36,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22836130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grumpyface/pseuds/Grumpyface
Summary: Sakura and Kakashi's relationship evolves after the Fourth Shinobi War. They find themselves drawn towards each other.It's a classic case of will they won't they
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Hatake Kakashi
Comments: 111
Kudos: 254





	1. On a Moonlit Night

**Author's Note:**

> This is gonna be very little plot and mostly porn. Actually, I'm writing this smut to just get back to writing again.
> 
> Also, absolutely hated how Sakura was treated in the anime so I'm trying to give her a non-pathetic storyline. Or attempt to.

Sakura was glad that they were finally getting some much-deserved rest. They had been travelling all day and he had pushed her to move at a much faster pace than she was used to. For him, the speed came naturally due to his experience and abilities. But Sakura had struggled to keep up with him, not wanting to slow him down or be reprimanded by him for not being more capable.

They were travelling to one of the border towns of the Land of Fire. The mission involved the assassination of a high-ranking official who had been caught trying to sell information about the Land of Fire. They were supposed to kill off the man before he could make his deal and retrieve everything he had. It was a mission that required stealth and thus, a small team.

Kakashi Hatake being part of that team made a lot of sense. Somehow, things had taken a turn for the worse after the Fourth Shinobi War. The sudden depletion in the number of ninjas across the land had meant a rise in crime. And the old teams had to be broken down due to the lack of personnel.

Which is how Sakura found herself on the same team as Kakashi, time and again. She was glad it was him and not Naruto or Sasuke. Even though she loved the both of them, she didn't really want any more missions with them. Their presence was a bitter reminder that she could never catch up to them. She'd never be their equal in power. During the war, she had left behind her master and achieved so much. She had defeated monsters and an ethereal being. Someone much stronger than even the god of Shinobi. But still, she was nothing compared to her team. She was still running behind her team. Even Kakashi. No matter how much she ran, they always seemed to be a few steps ahead of her. 

And it fucking sucked. 

At least Kakashi wasn't as overpowered as Naruto or Sasuke. It was strange, but during the war he had treated her as his equal. He had saved her life on multiple occasions when Naruto or Sasuke had simply forgotten about her. He had stepped up for her and stayed behind for her. 

It was all really strange but she had started looking at him in a different light then. She had always been obsessed with Sasuke. She had built this image of him in her head. But during the war Sasuke repeatedly broke her trust. And when he put her in that genjutsu before going off to fight Naruto, that had been the last straw for her. 

But they had made peace now. And Sakura was fine with that. She didn't want any more to do with him. She had felt sadness when he left the village but it had soon evaporated. 

She had found that she had better things to do with her time. Like focusing on her own capabilities and growing as a ninja on her own terms. And that meant taking as many high ranking missions as she could. Unfortunately, or fortunately, most of these missions involved the best that the Leaf had to offer. And Kakashi was definitely one of the best. 

He wasn’t even supposed to take any missions as he was being groomed to become the Hokage. But he always seemed in a hurry to get away and join the action.

Not that Sakura was complaining.

He was, after all, great company. 

It had happened all of a sudden and Sakura had still been unable to wrap her head around it. She couldn't remember when it started but Sakura found him completely irresistible now. It was hard to keep her brain functioning around him. He had saved Sakura’s life so many times now. But that wasn't it. His presence had always been so comforting that Sakura found herself sharing more and more of herself with him. Then suddenly, he became the one that Sakura wanted to share all her thoughts with. 

Not to mention he had always been that charming, hot ninja that everyone always drooled over. When she had that idiotic I'm obsessed with sasuke mask on her she hadn't ever thought about him. And he'd been too fucking old then. But now she was twenty and his thirty four didn't seem that far away. 

She was pretty sure he had a gorgeous face hiding under that mask. The memory of how they had tried to unmask him sent her in a fit of giggles every time she thought about it. She might never get to see it but Sakura could definitely imagine it. She could see the outline of his jaw, imagine how perfect his lips might be… And his hair. She just wanted to run her hands through it. Grab it tight as she made out with him…

Oh. Oh no. Sakura shifted uncomfortably in her sleeping bag as her thoughts ran amok. She peeked at him and found him softly snoring, snuggled in the sleeping bag and looking like an adorable puppy. He hadn’t even taken his hitae-te off. What an incredibly frustrating and beautiful man. She could barely make out his features as the only light in the zipped-up tent was from the moon outside.

Sakura couldn’t stop the barrage of thoughts that overcame her as she stared at him. The way his muscles would move as he fought enemies. The way his face transformed from lazy and careless to sharp and focused in an instant. His deep voice that seemed to reverberate within her if he ever stood too close. Sakura had fantasized about it all, too many times. She saved up the memories from her missions for when she was back home and alone in her bed. Oh, the things she would like to do to him. And the things she would like him to do to her.

She bit back a soft groan as she felt her arousal hit her with full force. This wasn’t the time for fantasizing. But try as she may, she couldn’t shove away those thoughts and go to sleep. She tossed and turned for a while before giving up and just staring at the sky in dismay. 

His beautiful head of silver hair nestled between her legs. His strong hands gripping her waist. His mouth leaving a trail of kisses along her neck. The images were flashing continuously as the subject of her fantasies lay a few feet away from her, blissfully unaware. Sakura was about to make a bad decision. She was too aroused to care now. She closed her eyes and quietly slipped her hands inside her panties. She was delighted and slightly embarrassed to find herself already wet.

She pursed her lips tightly, biting down so that she would not lose her senses completely. Her chest heaved in pleasure and anticipation as her hands roamed around the wet heat between her legs. Sakura had to muffle down a moan as she rubbed maddening circles around her clit, trying to make the pleasure last. Her hips rocked against her palm in careless abandon. She was so aroused; she didn’t even care that she might wake him up.

The other sleeping bag in the tent shifted with a soft rustle as Kakashi turned around to see what the fuss was about. He threw his covers off and turned towards her only to find her precariously positioned inside the sleeping bag. He propped himself up on his elbow and craned his neck to get a better view.

Was she… touching herself?

Sakura was still hidden under the covers but her gyrating hips and eager hands gave her away. She was trying her best to muffle her moans, but a couple slipped past her lips. The only part of her not under the covers was her face, which was scrunched up in either agony or pleasure. Her breathing started getting erratic, signalling to him that she was close. Very close. Which was the perfect moment to interrupt her.

“Do you want me to help you with that?”

Sakura’s entire body jerked in surprise and she fell still. She stopped breathing but he could hear her heart beating like a drum. Her eyes were still tightly shut but fear was written all over her face. For a moment there was only stunned silence and Sakura thought she had just imagined the words. She shook her head slightly and started breathing softly again. Though her hands had stilled in their motion.

“I asked, do you want me to help you with that?” The question came again to Sakura’s dismay and this time she couldn’t do anything to still her heart’s pounding. She pulled her hand out of her panties and tried to relax. She was just going to pretend nothing was happening and maybe he would be kind enough to let her do that.

But he had no intentions of doing that. She hadn’t been shy when she thought he was sleeping, and she had slid her hands into her panties and started playing with herself. He was barely a foot away from her and she was touching herself with abandon. And she wasn’t being quiet about it either. She had to be aware he wasn’t a heavy sleeper, being such an elite shinobi. And if she was still touching herself like this in front of him, he wondered if she was trying to put on a show for him. So, he definitely had no intentions of letting this go.

The silence had stretched too long now. Sakura still had her eyes tightly shut. The wetness on her hand was getting sticky as it dried. She knew he was staring at her and it felt unnerving. Her cheeks reddened with a deep blush and she wished the earth would open up and swallow her this very minute.

His gaze felt like a dagger and she had to open her eyes and look at him. His mask was still covering the lower half of his face, but he had removed his hitae-ate. His beautiful, unkempt silver hair was falling all around his stupidly gorgeous head. She had never seen his face, but she knew he was goddamned perfect. She just knew. And he was smirking. Oh god, he knew exactly what she was up to. She just hoped he’d accept her lie and let it go.

“Help me with what?” she stuttered as she looked into his mischievous eyes.

When he answered her, she knew she was in deep trouble. “You should know that I’m not a very heavy sleeper. I was trying hard to drift to dreamland when all those soft moans of yours caught my attention. And even before that, I could smell you.”

Her eyes widened in shock and her cheeks grew a darker shade of red. She blinked rapidly, hoping that she hadn’t really heard what she’d heard. He said he could smell her. Did he mean his sensitive nose could pick up her arousal? The thought sent a faint shiver down her spine. She couldn’t breathe and she couldn’t speak. She stared at him in embarrassment as he smirked back.

“Either you think I’m a fool of a shinobi who sleeps like the dead. Or you just don’t care about who is around you when you are chasing your own pleasure. Or was it that you were putting on a show for me?”

Heat rushed to her face and between her legs at his words. She threw back her head and buried her face in her hands, letting out a loud groan.

“I really thought you were sleeping. You were snoring so loudly.” Her voice came out muffled from behind her hands.

Kakashi chuckled. “I might have dozed off for a moment. But then I woke up to such a delightful view. It seemed a crime to ignore it and go back to sleep.” As he spoke, he shifted closer to Sakura, bringing the heat of his body next to her now shivering one.

Was this really happening? She wanted to scream in delight but it all felt too good to be true. 

She removed her hands from her face and looked up to find him now inches away from her. She found herself breathless and speechless as she stared into his deep gray eyes. This was what she had always fantasized about. In fact, it’s what she was imagining a few moments ago. But now that he was this close to her, all her thoughts had abandoned her.

“I’ve really gotten used to your smell now,” he said as he leaned close to her neck and inhaled deeply. “I can smell it on you whenever you’re standing close to me. Or when we’re on missions, sharing a tent like this. At first, I thought it strange. And I still had my doubts until today.”

She looked up at him dreamily, licking her lips before parting them to release a shuddering moan. She couldn’t believe that he was actually teasing her. Or that he had called her beautiful. Of course, Sakura knew she was beautiful, but she didn’t think he had ever paid attention to her. She was mortified that he had caught her like this. Even more that he could actually smell her arousal. She had never had a crush on someone for so long. And she couldn’t believe that he wanted her back. Kakashi had featured in many fantasies of hers. He’d taken her every way that was possible in those fantasies. Sometimes she imagined how his face looked like, but it never deterred her from thinking about him whenever she touched herself.

“Sakura.” He uttered her name in a soft command, forcing her to refocus her glazed eyes. She looked at him and before she could change her mind she leaned forward and kissed him through his mask. A quick peck where she hoped his lips were. And that was enough to make her heart thump madly again.

He looked amused when she pulled back. “There’s no need to do it through the mask,” he chuckled. He brought his fingers up to the edge of his mask and pulled it down. His movements were smooth and quick, but to Sakura it felt like he was taking an eternity.

When at last his mask was bunched under his chin and his face was fully revealed, Sakura stopped breathing. Her brain seemed to abandon all thought as she gazed at his beautiful face. Oh god, he was even more gorgeous than she could have ever imagined. His high cheekbones sloped into a smooth, well-defined jaw. The scar on his left eye ran deep but it made him look so much hotter. There was a small beauty mark beneath his perfect, pink lips. And he was smiling. His smile was so beautiful, Sakura had a fleeting thought about how it should be a crime that he covered it.

“That impressed, huh?” He chuckled. Sakura blushed again but this time she couldn’t help but return his smile.

“You’re so pretty, sensei. Why would you ever cover a face so fucking beautiful?” She found that her tongue had started to work again.

“Nobody would take a ninja with a face as pretty as mine seriously.” She giggled as he faked a grimace. Her fingers cupped his face and she rubbed her thumb against his lips. “Fuck,” she whispered as she closed her eyes to gather courage for what she was about to say next.

“Kiss me please.”

She thanked her stars that he complied.

He leaned forward to cup her face in his free hand and his long fingers weaved through her hair. He rubbed his thumb against her jaw as he looked into her eyes, probing for any doubts. When he saw none, he leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her lips. And another. And another. He left soft kisses on the corners of her mouth, her upturned chin, her soft jaw before returning to her lips and planting a deep, firm kiss on them. When Sakura gasped, slightly out of breath, she felt his tongue slip through her lips and into her mouth. He licked her lower lip before pulling it between his own and sucking on it. He then repeated the motion on her upper lip, which gave her the chance to draw his lips into her mouth. He groaned and thrust his tongue into her waiting mouth, licking it all up hungrily. His grip on her hair tightened as he pushed her onto her back. In a flurry of movements that she couldn’t process, he was on top of her, his right hand snaking on her hips and pulling her thighs apart to make room for himself. He slung one of her legs on his back and pushed his body against her and she moaned in his mouth. He took it as an opportunity to push his tongue deeper into her mouth and plunder her. Her lungs were aching for breath when he pulled his head away.

She was looking up at him dreamily, her hands clutching his shoulders tightly as he braced himself above her, trying not to crush her with his weight. Her lips looked slightly swollen from his persistent kisses which made him lean down and capture her full lower lip between his teeth. His bit down and heard her moan in pleasure as he started to suck on it softly. He couldn’t resist kissing her deeply once again before finally pulling back.

“Fuck me,” she whispered softly as her eyes fluttered close. “That was so much better than all my fantasies.”

He chuckled at her words. Leaning down to kiss her neck, he mumbled, “Fantasies, hmm? Not just the one?” She moaned and arched her neck as he continued to feather kisses along it, licking and nipping occasionally.

“Mm. All of them. So much better than all of them,” she murmured as he kissed her collarbone. He licked the hollow of her neck and when she moaned in response, he bit down on her collarbone. She shivered in delight as he licked the aggressive bite mark and suckled on it to make it better.

He raised his head to look at her lust filled eyes. “I wonder what those fantasies are about,” he whispered darkly, his eyes full of mirth and lust. She looked at him and the shyness returned, a blush creeping on to her cheeks again.

“If you don’t tell me, I’ll have to do my own guesswork,” he looked at her cheerfully. “Let’s start with what this was about.” He took her right hand and brought it up to his face. He inhaled the scent still lingering on it from her furious masturbating session earlier. “Mm,” he remarked as he drew her middle finger in his mouth and sucked on it. He licked it clean and then proceeded to the next one as Sakura watched him breathlessly. “I didn’t want to interrupt you,” he said when he was done licking it all off. “But I was quite offended that you were shameless enough to touch yourself in front of me like that. I don’t like being left out. And I definitely don’t like it when someone makes me feel like a voyeur.”

His words brought Sakura out of her aroused trance and she buried her face in her hands with a groan. Just what had she been thinking? Stupid, stupid, horny Sakura.

“Ugh. I was just… I couldn’t sleep and then looking at you being so sexy all day had me so horny that I just couldn’t. I really thought you were sleeping. You were snoring so loudly,” she spoke from behind her hands. When he said nothing, she took her hands away from her face and looked at him.

He was smirking at her. And that pissed her off. “What would you rather have me do then? Proposition you? Oh, sensei, I find you so sexy, will you please fuck me?” She uttered the last sentence in a mocking tone and stuck out her tongue at him.

His response was as infuriating as before. He chuckled and sat up between her legs, taking in the pretty picture she was in the moment. Aroused, blushing angrily, and still slightly out of breath. “I wouldn’t mind if you asked that of me.”

His voice dropped an octave as he said that and Sakura’s body responded against her will. Her anger and shame vanished, lust taking over her thoughts. She fisted her hands in his flak jacket, which he wore to bed like an idiot, and pulled him closer to her. As calmly as she could with her heart fluttering madly, she uttered her request again, sincerely this time. “Sensei. Will you please fuck me?”

“You didn’t say the sexy part,” he replied with a pout and Sakura felt like smacking him over his gorgeous head. But before she could utter a word, he had descended on her lips again, kissing her thoroughly. She fisted her hands in his hair and pulled him closer roughly. She wanted more of him and she was going to take it.

He moaned in her mouth and grabbed her hair, tilting her head so he could kiss her even more deeply. His other hand snaked under her shirt, soft fingers absently stroking her waist before they travelled up. His hand was splayed just beneath her breasts, grabbing her with bruising pressure as he sucked her tongue into his mouth. He abruptly broke free of the kiss and looked at her hungrily. She moaned as he took his heat away but was delighted when she saw the ferocious look in his eyes.

“You’re wearing too many clothes,” he said huskily before he took her shirt and pulled it off of her in one smooth motion. As his eyes roamed over her semi-naked torso, she felt another blush creeping on her face and tried to cover her full breasts with her arms. But he was having none of it. He grabbed both her wrists in his left hand and pinned them over her head. She moaned and arched her back, instinctively offering herself to him. With his other hand he pulled down the bra, revealing her right breast. It fell into his waiting hand, full, pliant, and soft. He cupped it gently but when she shivered in response, his fingers dug into the soft flesh, kneading it mercilessly. He leaned down and captured her already erect nipple in his sharp teeth. He tugged at it and bit down softly. She moaned again and pushed her body against him, forcing him to take more of her in his mouth.

He complied and closed his lips on the rosy bud, sucking at it delightfully. His other hand let go of her wrists and descended on her neglected breast. He pulled the bra down and started kneading the breast softly, pinching the nipple harshly between his thumb and forefinger. Sakura moaned loudly and grabbed his hair, trying to push his mouth further onto her. He opened his mouth eagerly and took in as much as he could of her full, heaving breasts. His mouth withdrew suddenly but she found it latched onto her left breast within moments. He was now kneading the breast he had licked and nipped and suckled so fervently earlier. Sakura’s grip on his hair tightened as he bit down on her left nipple only to suck on it softly. He spread her legs and hooked them behind his back, moaning as he continued his assault on her breasts. It was driving Sakura crazy that he had her so aroused by just paying a little attention to her tits.

Sakura tightened her legs around him and gyrated her hips against his as she moaned. “Sensei, please…” the words fell out of her lips before she could stop them. She didn’t even know what she was asking for. But he did. He raised his head and kissed her softly, eliciting another needy moan from her. His hands slipped under her and unhooked her bra. He let his hands roam softly along her waist, making her shudder softly as he continued kissing her. Sakura found herself raising her hips when she felt him pulling off her trousers. He pulled her panties off along with them and Sakura found herself frozen all of a sudden.

She was completely naked, and he was staring at her with a dark look in his eyes. He was still fully clothed and Sakura felt so vulnerable. He seemed so lost in appreciating her that an unrestrained “fuck” left his mouth. His uninhibited appreciation of her dissolved Sakura’s doubts and she relaxed. She gave him a coy smile and unzipped his jacket, shoving it off of him roughly. He helped her take off his jonin shirt and the undershirt attached to his mask. There was a soft smattering of silver hair on his chest and a very enticing trail ran through the sharp lines of his abs. Sakura hissed as she took in the sight of his body, his muscles rippling with power, and couldn’t help it when her pussy throbbed with desire. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him down for another kiss. He came easily, letting her dominate his mouth as he pushed his naked torso against her.

Sakura hooked her toes in the waistband of his trousers and pulled it all off. He broke away from the kiss to look at her incredulously. “That’s interesting. You’re that flexible, huh.” Sakura blushed red at his words but he seemed only appreciative of the fact, pulling his trousers off all the way and throwing it on the pile of clothes next to them. He was now leaving a trail of hungry kisses along her body. He was biting and nipping, sucking her soft, smooth skin. Sakura arched her back and looked up at the ceiling, and for a second she refused to believe that this was all real. If she had known he liked her and all it would take for him to pounce on her was knowing that she was masturbating in front of her, she would have done it sooner. Much sooner.

She found his beautiful face breaking her train of thought. There was a soft look in his eyes as he kissed the corner of her mouth softly. “Tell me, Sakura. Have you done this before?” Sakura was lost by his question. Did he mean to ask if she’d ever have sex? Or did he mean if she’d had random, no strings attached sex before? Either way, the answer was yes, so she nodded. “And are you sure about this?” Sakura nodded again, getting a bit frustrated because he hadn’t really touched her pussy yet.

“If you change your mind you just have to let me know,” he whispered and kissed her cheek softly.

“Gods, Kakashi, will you just fuck me?” Sakura groaned in frustration. Kakashi chuckled at her impatience and gently thrust against her mound as he buried his face in her neck. Sakura gripped his shoulders, hoping that he would finally put his cock inside her. But he had other plans.

All of a sudden, he was pulling her hands away from him and brought them over her head. He brought her wrists together and before she knew it, her hands were tied up. “That should teach you to be a little less impatient," he murmured as he nuzzled her neck. Sakura felt like her brain was going to short circuit. This was definitely better than her fantasies. She was just going to shut up and let him do whatever he wanted. Maybe give him a little input if he needed. Otherwise, not a word.

He was parting her thighs with his strong hands. His hands were rough, but his touch was soft and Sakura arched into it. And was next to her thighs, looking at her pussy as it throbbed and pulsed. There was a grin on his face, and he winked at Sakura as she stared at him, waiting for him to say something or do something. He dove in without a warning, his tongue licking her entire slit in one go. His tongue was circling her entrance and she quivered at his ministrations. Sakura couldn’t stop herself and her bound hands gripped his hair as he licked and sucked her clit. Her hips began to buck against his face of their own accord.

He pushed her down with one hand and inserted one long finger in her pussy as he kept licking circles around her clit. Sakura moaned loudly at the pleasure, feeling like she would fall apart. He took his time, pushing his finger in and out slowly as he kept licking and sucking languidly. He inserted a second finger when Sakura bucked her hips with urgency and increased his pace. She felt like she was going to fall apart any second now. And then his mouth was gone and Sakura huffed in displeasure. But his fingers rubbed against her g-spot at that moment and she found that she didn’t want to complain.

“Tell me, Sakura. What were you thinking of when you were touching yourself in front of me?” he whispered darkly in her ear. He had once again placed her arms over her head. Sakura closed her eyes and tried to regulate her breathing, unable to speak yet. “Were you imagining something like this?” he bit down on her earlobe and pulled it in his mouth to suck.

Sakura slowly opened her eyes to look at him. He was still thrusting his fingers inside her, his thumb rubbing circles around her clit. His pace refused to waver even as she moaned and bucked her hips. He bit down on her neck when she didn’t answer immediately.

“Yes,” she whispered, humiliated and aroused beyond reason as he kept staring at her with his hooded, grey eyes. Her soft skin was painted with a rosy blush, her pink hair spread around her like a halo and her green eyes sheened over with desire. Her tits rose and fell with every breath she took, the nipples almost painfully erect due to his earlier attentions. She looked so beautiful that Kakashi just wanted to devour her in that moment.

“I was imagining that you have me bent over on all fours. And you’re fucking me. Hard,” she moaned as his fingers found her g-spot again. “So hard,” she moaned again, he had added another finger. “Is that what you wanted to know, Sensei?” she smirked at him. His face was blank as he saw her challenging stare and then suddenly, he was kissing her hard. He bit her lips and left her breathless when he pulled away. His fingers were now rapidly moving in and out of her pussy.

“Come for me,” he commanded. And Sakura couldn’t stop herself even if she wanted to. Her orgasm hit her all of a sudden and she screamed. Kakashi looked at her face convulsed in pleasure and felt her pussy clench around his fingers and suddenly he couldn’t wait any longer. He had to fuck her now. 

He pulled out his fingers as she rode her high and stroked his cock, once, twice, before aligning it with her quivering pussy. He buried himself to the hilt in one go. He set up a fast, punishing pace, gritting his teeth and pushing through the resistance of her tightening walls. He was controlling himself as he felt her pussy clench and tighten around him. Sakura felt like she was falling apart as his thrusts prolonged her orgasm and the pleasure rushed over her, wave after continuous wave.

She felt her walls stretching and adjusting to his large size as she finally came down from her high. His pace had slowed down and now he was thrusting in long, deep strokes. Sakura opened her eyes to look at him and he had a look of concentration on his face, his jaw clenched tightly, and his brow furrowed. With every stroke of his cock, he was brushing up against her g-spot and Sakura moaned at how overwhelming it all felt. The pleasure felt like an elongated wave that kept washing over her, not subsiding at all, instead of the quick high and low she was accustomed to. He leaned down to kiss her, soft pecks on her jaw and cheeks. Then suddenly he had claimed her mouth again, a deep kiss where his tongue plundered her mouth. He sucked her tongue into his mouth and Sakura found herself moaning again, writhing and bucking her hips against him. She wanted him to move faster and his slow pace was infuriating her.

But he placed his hands on her hips and kept her pinned down. He let her hips go as he broke away from the kiss and braced his hands next to her head. He looked at her eyes, bringing her attention back to him and in a very gruff tone, ordered, “Don’t you dare move.”

Sakura had never been one to disobey her sensei.

She felt her pussy clench and throb in response to his command and she nodded meekly. He dipped his head down and captured her nipple in his mouth. He then roughly pushed both her tits together and drew both her nipples in his mouth at the same time. Sakura wanted to scream and buck and writhe because she could not wrap her mind around the pleasure he was making her feel. She didn’t even know her own body could feel this kind of pleasure.

His thrusts become harder and faster as he kneaded her breasts and sucked on her engorged nipples. He drove his hips into her and pushed against her g-spot, hitting a point as deep as he could go. He paused for a milli-second, pulling out almost completely, before pushing back, a rough and deep thrust. Sakura found herself orgasming once again, her hips bucking wildly, and she found herself moaning his name endlessly.

She felt him falter and lose his rhythm, thrusting wildly as his own orgasm neared. He kept his deep, strong strokes up even as her walls clenched around his cock painfully. She tightened her legs around his waist and grabbed his back, keeping him locked in place. He thrust a few more times erratically and stilled as he felt his own orgasm ripping through him. He felt her walls tremble and pulse around him, gripping his cock as he shot his cum deep inside her pussy. Sakura threw her head back and moaned as the feeling of his cock throbbing as it shot cum inside her made her orgasm again. Her hips had stilled as her pussy continued to milk him of his seed. The pleasure was overwhelming and Sakura’s vision went white, her ears ringing and her entire body tingling with oversensitivity.

Her hips slowly fell back to the ground and his hands that had been braced against his head, let go. He fell forward, barely able to keep his entire weight off of her. His face was still buried in the crook of her neck and they were both panting for air. His cock twitched slightly in the aftermath of the amazing orgasm he had had, and she felt her own pussy throb softly in response. She felt boneless and it seemed that he did too, for he was reluctant to move. After what seemed like a delicious eternity of his cock slowly softening inside her, still twitching occasionally, he pulled out of her and lay on his back. She felt her pussy twitch as he left, almost as if it didn’t want to let go. She could feel his cum pour out of her slowly as she felt herself blush fiercely.

As the rush of the orgasms was gone Sakura found herself quickly feeling vulnerable once again. But then Kakashi softly slid his arm under her head, pulling her flush against his chest. She was squashed against his chest, her tits softly resting against him. There was no harshness to his movements, only a gentle touch and Sakura found that her brain had stopped working once again. He was holding her as if she was a fragile thing who would break if he wasn’t careful. And this tenderness after the rough, dominant sex was Sakura’s undoing. 

She knew that this is what she wants. Not only this moment, but she wanted this over and over again. Sakura’s breathing returned to normal and she felt the slickness of his cum on her thighs. Normally, she would have rushed to clean herself. But she didn't want to move from Kakashi's embrace. His hands were running through her hair absent-mindedly. He planted a soft kiss on her forehead, and she felt like she was about to melt into a puddle. She let her hands roam along the hard planes of his chest and sighed contentedly.

But there was an edge to her sigh, and he heard it. He chuckled in response, “You still want more, don’t you?”

She blushed in embarrassment, unwilling to tell him exactly what she was thinking. She murmured a soft yes; it was almost inaudible but Kakashi’s sharp ears picked it up anyway. His fingers gripped her chin softly and he turned her face towards him, plating a soft kiss on her lips.

“The night is still young. And I’m not done with you yet.” He promised.


	2. Two Roads Diverged

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos and comments! I wasn't going to add it but the plot ended up adding itself. If you're here for the smut, you'll have to wait a bit :')

“Sakura, come on. It’s time to go.”

Sakura blinked the sleep out of her eyes. It took her a while to get her bearings. She was on a mission with Kakashi. Kakashi who was gently nudging her with a smile. At least that’s what his crinkled eyes told her, that he was smiling. His smile looked much better without the mask, though.

Without the mask. Oh. Memories of last night came flooding back to Sakura and she sat up abruptly, almost knocking into Kakashi. A fierce blush spread over her face as she remembered all that had happened last night.

“We leave in ten. Hurry up,” Kakashi instructed her and walked out of the tent.

Fuck. What the hell happened last night? Sakura wouldn’t have believed that last night happened. She woke up clean and fully dressed and not half naked wrapped around Kakashi’s torso. But as she got up to get ready, she felt the soreness and slight pain that the rough sex had caused. She vaguely remembered getting up to clean the mess. It all felt so hazy. Like it hadn’t really happened.

But it had happened! It hadn’t all just been a really weird and amazing dream. She had been getting off in front of him and he had been turned on by that? That was just ridiculous. He liked her? Okay, maybe he didn’t really like her. But he liked her enough to have sex with her.

And now he was pretending that last night hadn’t even happened. But was he really pretending that? They hadn’t even had the chance to talk about it. What if he regretted it all and never wanted to talk to her again? Fuck.

“Sakura. We’re on a deadline.” His voice was firm, with a hint of impatience. It set Sakura flurrying and she rushed to pack up and join him.

The sun was still lazily climbing the horizon as they made their way towards their target. As always, Kakashi was a few steps ahead of her and Sakura was following behind. She wanted to talk to him about last night. She knew this wasn’t the right time. But the anxiety in her stomach was keeping her from focusing.

In the light of the day, Kakashi wasn’t just a man she had a crush on. He was her former sensei, her team leader, and a friend. And last night could have fucked up all of that.

“Something weighing on your mind?”

They had reached the hideout of their target and were now tracking his movements from afar. They were hidden in the trees, high above, from where they had the perfect vantage point.

Sakura looked at Kakashi’s one raised eyebrow and sighed softly. She wanted to tell him. She usually couldn’t keep her thoughts from him. But it just seemed like the wrong time right now.

She shook her head and pursed her lips, trying to focus on the mission instead. But images from last night kept flashing in her head. Normally, after sex so good, she’d keep thinking about it for days on end. Last night he’d taken all her thoughts away. The way he’d kissed her. The way he’s pushed her legs apart to make space for his hips. His dark eyes and every darker voice commanding her to not move. His mouth and his fingers and the way they had wreaked havoc on her senses. Oh god. Oh no! He had said he could smell it when she was aroused.

Sakura was shaken out of her daze by this realization and her eyes widened, cheeks reddening with embarrassment. He was still looking at her expectantly and she could see the outline of his lips under his mask. He was smirking. He knew. He knew that she was wet and wanting. And he was enjoying it.

Sakura was no longer sure whether she should be embarrassed or angry. She chose the safer option. She crossed her arms and looked at him angrily.

“We’ve got a bastard to kill,” she said through gritted teeth. Deflecting was really the best thing to do right now.

“That we do. And he’s almost here,” Kakashi said and pointed towards the road. Indeed there was a small group of men walking towards the hideout.

“Whatever you’re worried about, we’ll sort it out later. Promise,” Kakashi gave her one of his sweet smiles. Sakura’s grimace faltered and she felt her anger slip away momentarily. Then he turned away to focus on the enemy and she huffed angrily. Damn charming bastard!

*** 

“Let’s make camp here for the night,” Kakashi had stopped in a small clearing that was sheltered by thick trees.

“What? Why? We could just keep going and reach Konoha in a few hours.”

The mission had gone smoothly. They’d worked seamlessly as a team once again. Despite the fact that Sakura had felt bone-tired from the all the rough sex. She had managed to push away her horniness and get the work done. After they had cleaned up the site they had swiftly made their way back to Konoha. Now they were just a few miles away.

She had been waiting but Kakashi hadn’t said a word after his promise. And Sakura was feeling angry once again.

“We need the rest,” Kakashi said curtly. His voice was soft yet authoritative. He would always so easily switch from his goofy, dorky persona to this sinister, skilled ninja who could murder you in the blink of an eye. Sakura had been impressed by his sheer genius and skills. And she’d always found his dorkiness a little annoying. But now, as an adult, she understood him a little better.

And it didn’t help make him any less annoying.

“It’ll take four hours at the max. Why do you need the rest? Are you slowing down in your old age, sensei?” Sakura said sweetly.

Instead of taking the bait, Kakashi merely chuckled. “Maybe I am, Sakura. It’s definitely taking its toll on me. And you need to replenish your chakra too.”

Sakura rolled her eyes. She didn’t want to spend another night next to him. She just wanted to go home and wash his touch off herself and be angry at him. If they would spend time together, she would confront him. And that really wasn’t good. Especially if he was going to break her heart by saying stupid shit like it was a mistake.

Sakura wanted to argue about staying but he had already started setting up camp. She puffed angrily and sat on the ground, unwilling to help him.

“Are you going to just sit there and pout, Sakura-chan?” he asked cheekily.

When he used the moniker he used for her when she was little, it made Sakura even angrier. She was done with avoiding a confrontation.

“You’re really going to call me that after last night?”

“Call you what, Sakura-chan?” Kakashi was feigning innocence and Sakura felt like driving her fist through his perfect face.

“You know. I really don’t know what you’re playing at. Last night was…” She looked up to find him looking at her intently and blushed fiercely. His dark eyes were hooded with something and they were boring deep into her.

“I’ve had a crush on you for so long now. And last night was amazing.” There was a shift in his expressions and Sakura couldn’t bear to look at him any longer. “I mean I imagined things. And I imagined them in a lot of detail, okay. But last night just exceeded my expectations. And not just in a… Anyway,” Sakura took a deep breath to steel herself for what she was about to say next.

“I’ll understand if you think it was a mistake. Or if it was bad for you. I don’t know. You’ve been acting weird. Or maybe I’m just overthinking. But I get it if you don’t want it to happen again. I’m not a resentful little child. I’m mature enough to deal with whatever decision you take.” She looked him square in the eyes as she said the last few words.

His shoulders sagged and he sighed heavily. He sat down next to her on the ground. His knee brushed hers as he sat, and Sakura had to hold her breath because even that little touch was electric for her. Ugh, get a hold of yourself!

“Sakura. I don’t even know where to begin. Of all the people in the world to have a crush on. You find your old, decrepit sensei to have a crush on.”

“It wasn’t really something I could control! You’re just…” Sakura stopped herself from saying more than she already had. He was already too full of himself.

“And you really thought that getting off in front of me was the best way to tell me about your crush, hm?”

What! How dare…

“It worked though,” she said angrily. And took it a step further, just because she could. “It’s because you’re a damned pervert.”

Kakashi chuckled and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

“Well, you were always a perceptive one. And that’s why you’ll always be my favourite student,” he said with a fake smile. Sakura rolled her eyes. She wasn’t going to let him deflect so easily.

“I was your student for like two minutes. You taught me shit.”

He looked genuinely taken aback and Sakura had to suppress a giggle. “My, my, is that the way to talk to your sensei?”

He was so annoying. She wasn’t going to let him have his way. She decided it was time to change tactics. Turning slightly, she planted her hand on his knee and leaned into him.

“Is that so?” she batted her eyelashes innocently. “Why don’t you teach me the right way then, sensei?” she breathed the last word softly, very similar to the way she’d moaned it last night.

His eyes widened in shock this time and Sakura screamed in delight. In her head, though, because she wasn’t done yet.  
Leaning in further so she had almost climbed on to his lap, she brushed her lips softly on his jaw. He smelled so good, even after such a long day of travel. She inhaled and sighed dramatically as he remained taut with tension.

“Maybe you should discipline me, sensei. I bet you’d like that,” she murmured. She was enjoying how he looked like he was scared of her. It felt weirdly empowering. She brushed the back of her hand along his thigh and he shuddered. She slowly backed away, looking into his eyes, daring him to say or do anything.

“Sakura…” he managed to murmur when she moved away and sat back.

“Hm?” she turned to face him and leaned back on her hands, giving him her best sultry look. She hoped she didn’t look like an idiot.

But Kakashi seemed enthralled by her act. At least for a moment. Then his face fell as if he was frowning. “I don’t think I can give you what you want, Sakura.”

Sakura straightened up and crossed her arms across her chest. She really wanted to beat some sense into him.

“I don’t have a great track record with keeping the people close to me safe.”

Oh. This got sad really quickly.

“Well, that isn’t true anymore. You need to give up your ‘my life is too tragic for something happy act.’” The words were out of her mouth before Sakura could stop them.

His eyes narrowed angrily.

“You know, you could just be honest with me. I can understand the fact that you don’t like me back. Or you don’t want anything to do with me. I don’t care for this attitude of yours. You kept your team safe, didn’t you? Aren’t we close to you? Don’t we count? Or is it that you don’t care for us?”

“Sakura, of course you count. But there are some lessons I’ve really had to learn the hard way. And I don’t like to tempt fate anymore.”

“What? That barely made any sense. Why won’t you just be honest with me? Is the thought of being with me so bad?” Sakura’s voice broke and she dropped her head to hide her tears. He was breaking her heart and there wasn’t anything she could do to stop it.

“Sakura,” he held her chin and urged her to look at him. Her tears were flowing freely, and she couldn’t stop the noises in her head that were telling her how stupid she was. He brushed her tears away and leaned forward to plant a kiss on her forehead. She sucked in a breath as she was enveloped in his warmth.

He looked at her bleary eyes and spoke softly.

“Last night was amazing for me too. You’re one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met. I wanted to kiss every inch of you last night. And I regret not being able to do that. But that said, I’ve not had sex that good for ages. I’d be lying if I said I don’t want it to happen again. But I’m not good for you. I’m too old for you. Not to mention I’m your former sensei. That kind of talk can ruin your career. I don’t mind mine being over, but you have so much to achieve.”

Sakura opened her mouth to object, but he shushed her.

“I don’t have a great track record with relationships. Everything that happened to me, left me, unfortunately, emotionally stunted for a long time.”

Sakura opened her mouth to say something rude but he interrupted her again. “Yes, I know I still am emotionally stunted. And the sexual partners I’ve had, I’ve demanded too much of them at times. I need complete control of the situation. That is how I deal with things. You’re young and innocent, and so beautiful. I would never put that on you. You’ll be so much happier with someone who is not scum. I love you, Sakura, and I want better things for you.”

Sakura’s eyes widened at his very honest admission. She really wasn’t expecting that. She kept looking at him, dumbfounded. His eyes were sincere as he sat back and waited for her response.

“I’m not that young and innocent you know. I’m tired of people thinking of me as this helpless kunoichi who doesn’t know what’s good for her. I’ve grown out of it. And I can decide what I want for myself. Maybe I can take everything you have to give. You don’t know everything, Kakashi.”

“Sakura, I didn’t mean…” he made a move to cup her cheek, but Sakura batted his hand away. His words might be kind, but he was still breaking her heart. She hated it.

“It’s okay. At least you told me the truth. I can’t help it if you’re so scared of something bad happening that you won’t even let something good happen. I can’t force you to change your mind.”

She got up and brushed the dust off her uniform.

“Let’s forget last night and act like nothing happened, okay?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment if you like the story. You can also leave your suggestions as to where the story could go because for now I haven't mapped our the entire plot yet


	3. With a Heavy Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura just can't seem to catch a break.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the amazing response. I can't believe it! I promise I'll bring the smut back soon.

"Will you stop it? I can literally see your forehead expanding because of overthinking," Ino elbowed Sakura angrily as they sat together, eating dango. 

Sakura touched her forehead with a worried look, so lost in thought that she didn't even process Ino's words. 

"Just spit it out. What, or who is bothering you?" 

"Huh?" 

"Sakura!" 

The violent shriek finally got her attention. Sakura frowned at Ino, who, as always, had an inkling of what was going on. Her best friend had never needed her mind reading jutsu to guess what was up with Sakura. And she simultaneously loved her and despised her for it. Despised it because she couldn't ever keep a secret from her. 

"I don't want to tell you," she said flatly. Ino would never accept such a response, but it was worth a try. 

"Really? You're going to try that?" Ino simply rolled her eyes. 

"Okay, fine. I'll tell you. But you have to promise not to make a big deal about it. And you can't let anyone know. Not a word. Or there'll be consequences." 

She rolled her eyes again and Sakura had to keep herself from punching her. It had been two weeks since that mission. Since that night. She had avoided Kakashi like the plague. Thankfully, they hadn't been called for a new mission. So it had been easy to steer clear of him. They usually caught up over dinner or trained together. But Sakura had picked up more shifts at the hospital to avoid him. And he had made no efforts to talk to her either. 

Sakura was angry. She was angry and so frustrated. Despite the fact that he had told her he didn't want anything to do with her, Sakura couldn't help wanting him. She missed his company, his stupid jokes and his teasing. She missed the way it was so easy to just talk her heart out to him. Bastard. He hadn't even tried to approach her once. 

"So, remember when I told you about that crush I've had for a while?" 

Ino huffed. "You don't have crushes, forehead. You get obsessed. I still remember your undying boner for Sasuke. I think everyone remembers that. You really embarrassed yourself with that idiot."

"Shut up, Ino pig. You know I'm over that asshole. I'm not talking about him. I'm talking about Kakashi."

"Oh, him. Well…"

"Hey. No judging. Yet. Please, will you just listen to what I have to say?" Sakura gave her best puppy-eyed look to her friend. 

"Okay, fine. Talk. I'll keep mum," Ino motioned as if she was zipping her lips. 

Sakura took a deep breath and spilled everything. From the moment of her aggressive masturbation to the amazing sex and then the weird morning after. Ino's face changed dramatically as she took in all the information. But she didn't say a word, as she had promised. 

"And then he said something about always needing to be in control? Like, I don't even understand what that means? And then he told me he loved me? What does that mean? He wants us to have sex again, but he won't because he thinks he doesn't deserve good things. What utter rubbish!"

Sakura looked at her friend for a response, but she got only silence. Exasperated, she almost yelled, "Say something, pig!" 

"You told me not to talk. And I thought you weren't done," Ino rolled her eyes. 

"Okay, are you really that daft or just trying to act innocent? Either way I don’t believe that you don’t understand what he meant by being in control. He obviously means that he's dominant. It's a sex thing, you weirdo. Seems a tad bit creepy to me."

"What? How is that creepy? Also, that's rich coming from someone who's dating Sai. He's the creepiest guy I've ever met."

"Okay, listen here you bitch." 

"Okay I'm sorry I'm sorry. Can we please just talk about this?" Sakura was too sad to even pick up a fight with Ino. 

"Fine," Ino conceded. “And he said he loves you because he probably does? Maybe not in the way you are so obsessed with him? Like I know you want weird, dorky babies with that guy. Ugh, the very thought.” The blonde pretended to shudder with disgust. 

“I fucking hate you so much.”

Ino chuckled. “I’m sorry. It’s just so much fun to rile you up. But seriously, the guy has commitment issues. And can you even blame him for it? He’s had quite a shit life.”

Sakura withered, “I know.”

“So it was no wonder you fell for him. You like the broken ones.”

“Need I remind you that you’re dating Sai? And he’s had it worse than most of us. Are you going to help me out or just pick on me?”

Ino pouted and flicked her long ponytail off her shoulder. 

“You know, you should listen to what he’s telling you. Even if he’s lying. From what I gathered he’s telling you he’s emotionally unequipped to handle a relationship. And you really should believe him when he says that. You’ll only suffer if you try to change his mind about that.”

“Oh.”

“I know that’s sad, but you’ll never be happy if you force or manipulate a relationship.”

“When did you become so mature?” Sakura eyed her friend suspiciously. 

“Well. It took a while, you know.”

Sakura sighed and her shoulders drooped. “So what do you think I should do now? I miss him as a friend, you know. Talking to him was just so easy. I could tell him anything.”

Ino gave her a poisonous look at her confession.

“Oh, come on. Like Sai isn’t the same for you,” Sakura shoved Ino playfully. 

“Fine, he is. You know what my favourite thing about him is? He’s just honest with me. We talk everything out. Even the bad shit. I never hide my feelings from him, and he can’t hide his from me. It keeps things from festering.”

“You’re so lucky. I’m not even going to lie. I’m super jealous.” Sakura’s grin was wide but her heart was sinking. 

Ino gave her a kind smile. “I’m sorry you fall in love with the weirdest ones.” 

Sakura shook her head and looked up at the sky, willing her tears to not fall. 

“You’ve just been avoiding him all this while?”

“Yeah. We’ve not been called for a mission yet, thankfully. If that happens then I’ll have to talk to him. Because I can’t just refuse a mission.”

“Maybe talking to him will be a good thing? If you’re that good friends, then maybe you can work things out?”

“I don’t know, Ino,” Sakura said mournfully. “Just the thought of seeing him makes me sad. And not because he’s broken my heart. I feel sad that I still want him. And even worse that he doesn’t want me back.”

“If you don’t want to feel sad, I could help you feel angry about him.”

Sakura narrowed her eyes at her friend, “Only thing you’ve helped with is making me more miserable.”

“Stop projecting on me, bitch.”

Sakura wailed in response and slumped on the table. “I hate this. I hate my stupid brain for liking him. And you know what I’m still thinking about right now? His fucking beautiful smile. He’s so fucking cute, Ino. It’s unfair.”  
“I’m sure he’s gorgeous. I’ve heard the rumours around village. But if it makes you feel any better, he’s really old. Like, he’s got a head full of white hair.”

Sakura’s chin was resting on the table and she looked up at her friend to see her trying to suppress a giggle. 

“You’re so stupid.”

“Hey, I just want you to be happy. If it's a crush that's going to evaporate after a while, I don't want you to be so miserable about it," Ino's voice was soft and kind as she squeezed Sakura's hand. “Talk to him, maybe he’s also realized he’s an idiot.”

“He hasn’t tried to even reach out to me.”

“Oh, fuck him then. Wait you already did.”

“Pig!”

“How was it? Tell me everything,” Ino’s voice had taken a higher pitch.

“Ah, see I was wondering where the real Ino had gone. You’ve been saying such sensible things today,” Sakura laughed at her friend’s face. She then proceeded to tell her all the delicious details that she had already relived in her head many times now. 

“Oh wow. That’s…” Ino’s face was flushed pink as Sakura spoke.

"No wonder you’re miserable. Also, thanks for telling me that, now I’ve got some tips for Sai.”

Sakura laughed at her friend’s shameless attitude. They sat quietly for a while until Ino piped up again.

“Maybe you could try seducing him? Since you already did once. And I still can’t believe you were gross enough to start masturbating in front of him. I haven’t even done that with Sai. What if he’d gotten angry with you instead of participating? You found a gross pervert just like you, huh?”

“Fuck off! And what happened to staying away from him?” Sakura rolled her eyes at Ino’s sudden change of tune. 

“I would never tell you to stop if the sex is that good! And he’s a guy. I have no doubt that if you offer him no strings attached sex, he won’t refuse. Like, I really want you to get it, you know. I’m a good friend.”

Sakura laughed. Ino had matured well beyond her years now. That was evident by the sensible advice she had given her. But the blonde was, still, after all, the same mischievous little girl she had befriended once. The conversation had worked like magic. She was feeling infinitely better now. She still wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted to do about Kakashi. But she felt less miserable.

“I don’t think I can deal with it. I’ll just be breaking my own heart if I do that.”

“I’m sorry, Sakura. All I can offer you is hugs and dango.” 

Sakura smiled in return and lunged in for a hug. She managed to knock Ino off the bench and they sat on the floor of the dango shop, laughing like maniacs.

"You'll get through it," Ino's voice was sober. They sat back at the table and looked out at the village. It had changed so much since they were young. So much devastation and it was still standing strong. That was just the thing about Shinobi. 

"Yes. I have no other option." She had survived a war with gods. She was going to survive this too. Only this was going to hurt a little more. 

***

When Sakura finally came back home, the moon was peeking in the sky. It was a moonlit night and she had slowly made her way home through quiet alleyways, lost in thought. She wasn't thinking of Kakashi anymore. Okay, that wasn't really true. But she was thinking of what she would say to him when she met him. 

Her original plan had been to either shriek at him or punch him through a wall. And her preference was the latter. But after talking with Ino, she felt like she had sobered up. 

She wasn't going to do any of that. She was an adult and she was going to handle this maturely. No matter how badly she wanted to just throw a tantrum. 

She was making her bed when she heard a clatter against her window pane. She jumped with fright and looked up. Only to find a head of silver hair trying to peek in through the space in the blinds. 

Oh no. Fuck. No. Not right now. She wasn't even fully dressed. 

She was just going to stay quiet and pretend like she wasn't there. 

"Sakura," he called out. "I can sense you in there." Kakashi said a bit tersely when she refused to move. 

Oh yes. She was a ninja and so was he. He could sense her presence. Ugh, he was making her brain mush. 

Reluctantly, she went over to the window and opened it up. He was dressed as he always was. In his uniform. The mask and the hitae-ate in place too. He looked good, almost edible. And he smelled so good Sakura had the urge to bury her nose in his neck. 

No, Sakura! Calm your damn self. 

"What do you want, Sensei?" she crossed her arms and said angrily. 

"You've been avoiding me." He was standing right in front of the window because Sakura refused to move and let him in any further. 

"Took you quite a while to figure it out." 

"This is exactly what I was trying to keep from happening," his voice was anxious. 

"What the fucking hell does that even mean?" Sakura said angrily, her voice taking a dangerously high tone. 

"Look, can we sit and talk?" He gave her a puppy-eyed look and Sakura felt her anger waver. 

"Fine. Talk. But you don't get to sit," she said with a huff and plopped down on her bed. It made her shirt ride up and revealed that she was, in fact, wearing shorts. But they had ridden up dangerously high too. However, Kakashi, being such a gentleman, never glanced down. 

He gave her an incredulous look and shrugged, leaning against the window. 

"I didn't think you'd be so petty."

"There's always new things you can discover about me. I keep it exciting," Sakura smiled sweetly at him. 

Kakashi chuckled. "I came here to apologize. I realized I shouldn't have said the things I did the other day. I mean, I should have said it differently."

Sakura felt her anger surge once again. "Saying it differently wouldn't have changed the meaning, Sensei. You got what you needed from me and decided to go your merry way. I can't really blame you for that, can I? It was my fault for thinking you'd be any better."

Kakashi stood shell shocked for a minute. He opened his mouth to speak several times but couldn't find the words. 

Finally, when Sakura kept looking at him for an answer, he said softly, "You think so little of me, Sakura?" 

There was pain in his voice. Sakura felt guilty that she'd said something so hurtful without thinking. "That's what you're making me think, Kakashi."

There was a bitter silence as neither of them spoke for a while. 

"What happens now?" It was Kakashi who finally broke the silence. 

"I don't know, Kakashi. I'm trying to figure it out too. I love you. As sad as it makes me, I do love you. I want your company. I still want to talk to you and hang out with you. But every time I think about you, all I can remember is how you've broken my heart. It hurts, Kakashi. I just… I am not expecting anything of you. I just need time to process this."

"I am sorry about it, Sakura. I really am. But you didn't give me much time to process things either, Sakura. You just unloaded everything on me and expected me to do what you wanted. What happened that night, that was a lapse in judgement on my part. You were my student, you are my teammate, and most importantly, you're my friend. I should have stopped then."

"But you didn't, Kakashi. We can't change what happened. I get it, you're feeling guilty. I am too. Because I ruined our friendship." Sakura's voice was small. She looked down and blinked away the tears that had collected in the corners of her eyes. This was going horribly. She wanted to curl up in a ball and wail. 

There was a soft sound of movement and then she saw Kakashi's head of silver hair next to her legs. He was kneeling in front of her. Right in front of her crossed legs and her crotch. He put two fingers under her chin and forced her to look up. The act reminded her of the night in the tent. And the way he had touched her. The memories came flooding back and there was a fiery blush on her cheeks as she looked at him. 

But he seemed oblivious to her discomfort as he gave her a reassuring smile. "Our friendship is not ruined. I promise you that." He brushed away her tears and she smiled despite herself. "Even though you didn't choose the best way or time to tell me about your feelings," he added cheekily. 

Sakura narrowed her eyes and punched him in the shoulder. He fell back, despite there being no force behind her punch. And acted as if he'd been gravely hurt. Sakura laughed at his stupid antics. 

"I will concede that I could have told you that I like you in a much better way." 

"Thank you."

She patted the space next to her on the bed and he sat down next to her. She wanted to bury her face in his shirt and hug him until she felt better. But she could not. This sucked. 

"So, we're okay now?" Kakashi asked chirpily. 

"As okay as we can be," Sakura gave him a fake smile. He looked unconvinced but he didn't probe any further. 

"I will see you tomorrow for training?" he said as he got up to leave. 

"Yeah, why not. I've skipped enough sessions till now."

He climbed back through the window when Sakura called out to him. He turned around to look at her. 

"If you ever climb through my window again, I will punch you through a wall." 

He merely chuckled as he left. 

Sakura sat down heavily on her bed, the energy leaving her completely. She was ready to bawl her eyes out now. She did what she had decided. She didn't force him or try to convince him. And although she knew it was the right thing to do, it felt horrible. 

She drew her knees together and curled up on her bed, wallowing in misery. She was definitely going to bail on that training session tomorrow. She had been mature enough and now she wanted to be a petulant child. She wanted to eat away her feelings but she felt too sad to even get up. 

She was sobbing vehemently when there was another rap on the window. What the hell? Is he not even a little scared of my threats? She wasn't going to open the damn window again. He could stay there all night. 

The tapping came again and this time it was insistent. Sakura stopped sobbing and sat up angrily. He was going to make her cry and then not even let her cry in peace? She was going to show him no mercy. 

When there was a third knock on her window, she got up angrily to open it. Instead of the head full of silver hair she was expecting, it was a small, brown-haired teenager. He looked at Sakura's angry expression and withered a little. 

"Sakura-san. You've been summoned to the Hokage's office. She said it's urgent." 

Sakura frowned but nodded at the kid and told him she'd be on her way. She dressed up in a hurry and ran towards the Homage tower. 

It really hadn't been urgent. 

Well, Tsunade could have called her in the morning too. But her mentor sat at her desk, slightly drunk with half a bottle of sake and her assistant trying to straighten her desk without any success. 

"Shisou. You summoned me," Sakura looked at Tsunade, a bit pissed that her crying session had been disturbed. 

"I've got a mission for you Sakura. Sorry, it came in a little late. The mission has been delayed too long so you need to leave immediately."

"Is it a solo mission?" Sakura was confused. 

"Oh no. You'll be going with your usual partner. He's still not here. Not that anyone ever expects him to be on time," Tsunade had an angry flush on her face. 

Oh. Kakashi. She was to go on a mission with Kakashi. Exactly what she needed, ha. And no, Shisou, he's been on time when I needed him the most. He's saved my life countless times. She wanted to argue with her mentor. There was something seriously not right with her. She really wanted to defend the man who had broken her heart. What an idiot. 

"What's the mission, Shisou?" 

"Listen, I can't explain this twice so let Kakashi get here and then I will give you the… Oh here he is. Come in, we've been waiting, as usual."

He climbed in through the window, once again. Sakura gave him a deathly stare but he shrugged, as if to say, it's not your window. 

"The mission is going to be long term. We've heard that rogue ninja frequent this small village on the outskirts of the Fire Country. It is close to the border of the Sand. There are talks about some very wealthy people putting money behind this organisation. We need you to infiltrate this organisation and find out everything you can. Take all the necessary measures to prevent them from gathering too much power."

"This is very sudden, Tsunade. Why is this the first I'm hearing of it?" Kakashi asked suspiciously.

"Because it wasn't a cause of alarm until today. The Shinobi I had sent there to investigate just sent me a message. He said if we're receiving his message then he has already died. He gave very cursory details. I'm guessing he had prepared this failsafe to let us know things have gone bad in case he died. He had sent us his observations a few weeks ago. I'm afraid there is very little to go on."

"You two should prepare yourselves for a long journey. We suggest that you go undercover as civilians until you figure things out. You must leave immediately because we don't want them to retaliate or rack up a body count." Shizune slid a mission scroll towards them. 

Kakashi picked it up and went through it.

"This should be an A-rank mission at the least, Tsunade."

Tsunade scoffed, "We don't have the funds for it, brat. Everyone has forgotten the war already, especially the feudal lords. It is up to us to keep another Akatsuki from happening."

"Fine. I understand. I guess we'll leave first thing in the morning. Let's go, Sakura."

"Huh?" 

"I said we need to go prepare ourselves. Come on," Kakashi nudged Sakura who seemed too lost in thought to notice. When she felt the stares of Tsunade and Shizune zone in on her she shot out of her seat. 

"Yeah. Let's go," she mumbled as she took off after her teammate. 

Fuck! A long term mission. Just the two of them? And they had to leave immediately? This really was turning out to be the worst day ever!


	4. The Secrets That Keep Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An answer to just what the hell is going on with Kakashi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I deleted the chapter I had previously written. On second thought, I did not like it at all so I rewrote this chapter entirely and I finally like the direction it has taken.

It was done. There was no taking it back now.

She looked even younger in her sleep, as the tension that kept her taut and sharp finally seeped away. Her hair had fallen across her cheek when she had turned and Kakashi had the urge to brush it away. But it the bright light of the day, it felt wrong. So wrong. 

The weight of what they had done last night finally hit him like a crashing wave. Why had he done that to her? Even if she had wanted it, even if she had asked him to do so, he should have refused. It was his duty. Had been, his duty. 

He’d failed. He had failed to protect her from his own ugliness. She shifted as he stared at her and her shirt rode up, revealing the bruise that he had created last night. It was an ugly reminder of what a monster he was. How, how could he have done this to her?

She was barely old enough to have sex. Okay, maybe he was overreacting. She was old enough. And she had proved to him time and again that underestimating her was a mistake. But she had been his student. Someone he had sworn to guide and protect. She was his teammate. She trusted him. She trusted him completely, given the way she had so easily given in to his commands last night. Fuck, he was a rotten bastard. 

When she had confessed her feelings for him, he’d felt delirious with desire. Last night felt like a fucking dream. It was a fog, a beautiful fog where he touched her and kissed her and made her his. But she would never be his. Sooner or later she would realize that he was just a pathetic excuse of a human being and leave him. Or she would discover that he was a depraved monster and she would run away from him. 

He walked out of the tent to let the chilly morning air clear out his thoughts. It didn’t help. He had spent the entire day trying to avoid looking at her. She had grown up so suddenly. Or maybe he had just stubbornly refused to take notice. Last night had been such a moment of weakness. And then she had kissed him with so much fire. And moaned his name aloud like a prayer. He wanted to stay tangled in her legs forever. 

But he could not. Not if he wanted her with his whole heart. The universe would never be that kind to him. He’d probably be thrown out of the village if anyone found out. And sooner or later she would look at him with disgust. She deserved so much better than him. Sakura was like starlight, shining so bright that she could erase the darkness out of anyone. But she didn’t deserve a life where she had to spend her efforts healing someone like him. She needed someone who could keep her happy. And he wasn’t it. 

His jaw set and his mind made up; he took a deep breath before he went back into the tent. He gazed at her beautiful face. She looked so serene. A picture of happiness that he could only hope for. He stood there a moment too long. And then he decided to wake her up.

***

“What are you not telling us, Hokage-sama?” The question had come moments after Kakashi had doubled back to Tsunade’s office. He had seen to it that Sakura had been on her way to her place.

“You think you’re so smart, brat.” Tsunade spat at him angrily. Instead of responding, Kakashi merely stood there, hands deep in his pockets, his stance relaxed and calm.

The staring match went on for a few seconds until Tsunade sighed and sagged visibly. She filled her cup with sake and beckoned him to sit. 

“We have reasons to believe someone is pouring a lot of money into this operation. I was really hoping we’d receive a different report but we’re out of luck. The village is at the border of The Mist. If the news spreads that the Leaf’s rogue shinobi are planning something, the Mizukage will be forced to retaliate. I was hoping to find out all of this sooner.”

“Why Sakura? I could take this mission on my own. I have, in the past too.”

“You’re not as young as when you were in the Anbu, Hatake. Also, you are precious to the village now. I don’t care what happens, I’m retiring next year. And there’s no other shinobi I would see on this chair. Sakura goes as your backup and protection.”

“Are you… serious?” Kakashi settled for incredulity when his first instinct had been to scoff and then follow it with a chuckle. Looking at Tsunade’s angry expression, he was glad he hadn’t done either.

“Don’t test my patience, Hatake. I’ve had a long day,” she waved her cup angrily, a drunken slur to her voice. Shizune gently plucked the cup out of her hand but Tsunade snatched it back. 

“Why is it a long-term mission?” The possibility of spending that much time with Sakura was both exciting and nerve-wracking. 

“Because I don’t care how long it takes, I want this mission complete and sorted. I need you to collect information and send me regular updates. You will request for backup once you’ve formulated a plan of action. I want these bastards weeded out. I will not have another Akatsuki while I live and breathe.” 

That was something Kakashi completely agreed with. 

“And the secrecy?” 

Tsunade pursed her lips at the question and for a moment Kakashi thought he wasn’t going to receive an answer. 

“The elders didn’t see it as a cause of concern. These old bastards always have their own agendas. I’ve made the mission a priority. You will take every step necessary to accomplish it.”

Kakashi stood up and nodded, the anxiety replaced with a blank slate of singular purpose. Accomplish the mission.

***  
They left under the cover of darkness. Now that they had nothing to do but travel in silence, Kakashi’s mind started to wander again. So she’d accused him of the thing he had been dreading. It had felt like a sharp sword being driven through his heart. But it had also made him feel lighter. Maybe it was the acknowledgement of his anxieties. The fact that she already detested him a little made him feel infinitely better. It would be easier for her to get over him this way. Not that he thought there was much to get over anyway. 

This time he was leading the way and she trailed behind. He didn’t want to look at her and feel the sharp pang of loss again. Looking at her kind face and bright eyes made him feel like he was sinking. He was sinking in thick, viscous water and she was right there, and she could save him, but he could not reach out to her. He could not reach out to her because she would drown too. It would take everything she had to save him. And maybe that wouldn’t be enough too. 

He had taken the right decision. There was no need to mull over it right now. He needed to focus on the mission. But his thoughts were straying again. The wind had carried a whiff of her perfume to him and his memory had been inundated once again. Her soft, lithe body, undulating under him. Her powerful thighs gripping him, keeping him locked in place… Fucking hell. There was no end to his depravity.

He halted so abruptly that he felt Sakura collide into him with full force. They were both thrown ahead with the force and he cushioned her fall with his body. 

“What the hell, Sensei?” Sakura dug her elbows in his back angrily as she got off of him. Fuck, he had been so distracted that he had missed a branch. It had snapped under him and he jumped to the next one to regain his balance when she had crashed into him. For a second he contemplated burying his face in the earth and ignoring her anger.

“I’m sorry, I missed a step.” His face was red with embarrassment. He was an elite shinobi, not a bumbling chunin. He wasn’t supposed to make mistakes like this. Her floral perfume had travelled to his brain and it was taking over all his thoughts. She was standing too close. He could see the rise and fall of her breasts as she breathed. He had to get away from her. 

He turned away without a word and started to move through the trees once again. He could feel her gaping angrily at his back but was not going to engage with her. He needed to quiet his brain. Or he was going to fuck up again. He had caused her enough pain already.

This mission needed to go as planned.


	5. An Unexpected Opening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mission is underway.

Goosebumps had sprung along her arm unwarranted. The atmosphere was shifting with every step that brought them closer to their destination. It was as if the air itself carried the unease forward. The anxiety gnawing at her stomach was making Sakura want to turn back and hightail to the Leaf. 

She took a deep breath to calm herself as they made their way out of the dense forest. There was a village just a mile away and this was where they were going to put on their disguises. Kakashi had halted a few feet away and Sakura took it as a cue to slow down too. 

Over the past two days, they had barely made any conversation. It was just brisk commands to stop or move or make camp. They’d taken turns to keep watch and managed to avoid each other for now. It was tense and gloomy, and Sakura hated it. She knew they weren’t going to talk anytime soon, and it made her heart feel heavier. 

His face had been withdrawn, even more so than usual. She had wanted to reach out and talk to him. She even had a string of apologies ready in her head. As if her apologizing would solve the issue of his emotional ineptitude. As if it had been her fault at all. What broke her heart the most that he hadn’t even tried to talk to her. If that is how he was going to be, Sakura wasn’t going to be the first one to bend either. 

They were still hidden in the treetops as they observed the village. Their destination, named Itawa, was just a few miles away by road now. They had been told that this village received a lot of their supplies from the neighbouring one. The people here were loyal to their neighbours. They would be suspicious of outsiders. They weren’t going to blend in here and talk of their arrival would not be contained. So, it was time to start working their covers. Problem was, they hadn’t really talked about it yet.

“Have you prepared our covers yet?” Okay fine, she was the first to bend. She wasn’t going to jeopardize the mission because of petty stuff. That could always come later. 

Kakashi looked at her with scrutinizing eyes and didn’t speak immediately. He seemed to be debating something with himself. This made Sakura feel a little antsy and she glared at him angrily.

“Well, we were suggested something by Tsunade and Shizune. They seemed to think it was, ah, the best option to go with.” Kakashi paused and gave her a pitiful look. He looked like he was too uncomfortable to say what he was supposed to say next.

Sakura had no patience or pity to spare. She crossed her arms and waited for Kakashi to finish talking. She couldn’t give two hoots about his discomfort. 

“The story is that you’re the daughter of a high-ranking shinobi working for the leaf. I’m supposed to be the ah, missing nin, who you’ve fallen in love with,” Kakashi cleared his throat and gave her a pained look. What the bloody fuck? That? They had thought of that? Sakura wanted to explode. But she tamped the rising rage within her and continued to look at him with a blank stare. “We’ve eloped against your father’s wishes and want to seek the protection of some other missing nin. We’re looking to join a group of missing nin in lieu of protection.”

This was absolutely ridiculous. She wanted to break something. Punch someone’s face maybe. She had the insane urge to laugh at the horrible tragedy that her life was. But she bit her tongue to keep the laughter from bubbling out of her throat. Leave it to Tsunade to make her life more difficult. 

“That’s pretty elaborate,” was all she said. Kakashi looked like he wanted to apologize. She wished he would. Just so she could yell at him a bit. She now regretted that she had accepted his decision without making a fuss. Because she had quite a few scathing comebacks collected in her head. After all, she had been arguing with him in her head all along the way. 

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief when Sakura didn’t argue with him about the cover story. “Well, this is a covert mission. We have to make our covers a little believable.” Sakura scoffed indignantly. This really was a cruel joke. 

“We should disguise ourselves.” Even his commands were curt and to the point. 

Sakura rolled her eyes silently and put on a quick henge. How exactly were they going to play out this cover story when they could barely talk to each other? She had a bad feeling about this mission. 

***

The plan was to leave for Itawa early in the morning. They would travel by road and be in plain sight so people would see them coming. They were going to walk in there, confident that the shinobi would buy their cover. It all sounded easy, but their non-communication was still nagging Sakura. Because it could easily fuck everything up. 

They had walked over to the only inn the village had and taken a single room. Kakashi had later explained that it was because they had to maintain their cover. He had made small talk with the clerk behind the counter, asking him if he knew of ninja that could be hired as protection. The clerk had shrugged and told him to check out the next village because this one was too small for any shinobi. 

Now he was sitting in the bedroom, silently sharpening his kunai as Sakura mulled over her disguise. She didn’t want to use a henge because that was unnecessary chakra depletion. She studied herself in the small bathroom mirror and concluded that the only thing she needed to change was her hair. The pink colour was too unique and the stories of her involvement in the war had all started with “the pink-haired kunoichi who could level mountains”. Once her hair was changed, she would look like any ordinary young girl. Decision made, she dug into the bag that she had packed her toiletries in. There was a small bottle of a brown hair dye she had bought on a whim not long ago. Time to finally put that purchase to use. 

She’d never dyed her hair before. She had always thought about it because once she had detested the weird colour of her hair. But she had also been too scared to venture out of her comfort zone. And now she had no choice. She wondered what Kakashi would think of it. Would he find it cute on her? Was this shade of brown even flattering for her skin? Would he like it?

Wait. Why the hell was she thinking if he’d like it or not? It didn’t fucking matter. You’re not a child, Sakura. She had to remind herself that she wasn’t that young girl vying for her sensei’s approval anymore. She didn’t need his validation to feel better about herself. She did not!

Angry at herself for her rambling thoughts, Sakura pursed her lips and finished her task. She was shaking the water out of her hair as she walked back into the room. She rubbed the towel on her head and felt Kakashi’s eyes on her. He was sitting in the chair, holding up his kunai and staring at her as if she’d grown another head. 

She scowled at him, “What?”

Kakashi swallowed and shook his head. “Nothing, you just look very different.”

Sakura rolled her eyes. “What are you going to do? Walk in there looking like that?” She pointed a sharp finger at his entire length. He chuckled. 

“No, I have a disguise prepared. Wait, let me put it on. You might recognize it.”

Sakura was puzzled. She had never seen him in a disguise. But she found out exactly what he was talking about when he walked out of the bathroom with a brown wig and purple facial markings. 

“What the hell? You’re… That was you?” It was so long ago that they had met that photographer who had “helped” them uncover Kakashi’s face. It had been him? He had just been fucking around with his genin team? If she remembered the events of that day, he had actually appeared in front of them in his uniform. So… he’d used shadow clones and a disguise? What a clown!

He was grinning at her shocked face. “I thought you’d figure it out when I’d shown you my face that night.”

“That was years ago. I don’t even remember it all. What name did you use that day? You went to some lengths to just… mess around with your genin team? No offence, but you’re a clown, Sensei.” Sakura added an eye roll to her statement. He was such a weirdo. Why did she even like him?

His grin didn’t falter at her words. “It had been a great team-building exercise. And it had been fun for me.”

He pulled the chair close to the bed and sat down in front of her. “You three were such an odd bunch back then. You used to fight and bicker so much with Naruto. And Sasuke always acted like he was better than everyone. But there was a reason why I had picked your team. I know I wasn’t a great teacher, but I managed to teach you something that was important to me. And you guys went on to save the world.”

His looked proud and so happy and Sakura’s heart softened unwillingly. She remembered the fight with Kaguya very well. She still got flashbacks and woke up in a cold sweat some nights. But the moments she remembered best were when Sasuke and Naruto had left her behind and Kakashi had saved her. 

“You played a pretty big role in saving the world too, Sensei,” Sakura smiled softly at him. Her heart was aching deeply at the reminder that she still loved him for it all. After the war, everyone had managed to move on. Naruto had started a new life with Hinata. And Sasuke had just left her behind once again. It was him, who’d been there. With his smiling eyes and his kind words. He’d been there when she needed most. It wasn’t just infatuation. It couldn’t be. 

His smile was sad this time. “You guys saved me when it mattered the most.”

“When did we save you? All I remember is you getting us out of one problem or the other,” Sakura grinned at him. Her heart was hurting but she was managing to put up a brave front. 

“When I met you. It had been the darkest period of my life. Lord Third had retired me from Anbu and appointed me as the leader of a genin team. It wasn’t long after the Uchiha Clan massacre. Itachi had been under my care first. And I did take it a little personally when he had killed his entire clan. I had felt it was my fault that I had been unable to help him. And before that, it had been the death of my teammates and my sensei, Naruto’s dad. I had spiralled and fallen into a pit. I had managed to distance myself from all my friends and I was on a very dark path then.”

Sakura’s breath was stuck in her throat. She couldn’t breathe. She had no idea what he had gone through. Oh. Oh no, the poor man. She wanted to reach out and hug him. Wrap him up in warmth and tell him it was all okay. 

“And I had failed every team before you. After Obito and Rin, and Itachi, I understood the importance of teamwork. It wasn’t just about working together. It was trust. And sacrifice for another. I had never been able to do that with my team. But I saw it in you guys.”

Sakura felt tears tugging at the corners of her eyes. Why… why was he telling her all this? Why now?

“It was quite infectious, Naruto’s enthusiasm. I think we all took a hit of it. You guy showed me the light. I used to look forward to our missions after that. In fact, I started looking forward to waking up every day after that.”

There was no stopping her tears now. She sobbed brokenly. Fuck. She was pathetic. Why was she even crying? He was saying happy things!

“Hey, are you crying? Sakura! I’m so sorry, I didn’t…” he reached out helplessly. Sakura sniffled and pushed his hand away. “It’s okay. I’m just. I don’t know. You never talk, Sensei. And when you talk you just pour your heart out. A girl can only take so much, you know.” She offered him a weak smile as she wiped her tears. He chuckled sheepishly. 

“I’m sorry. It came out of nowhere. I have been thinking about things a lot. About how much you’ve all grown up. You, especially.”

The abrupt change in his tone made Sakura pause. There was a snarky reply at the tip of Sakura’s tongue. But after the way he had poured his heart out to her, she bit back the reply. 

He sighed when Sakura kept looking at him. “This mission is going to be difficult.”

Yes. It was going to be horrible. Also, a great way to change the topic, sensei. The urge to comfort him was soon going to be replaced with anger if he said anything stupid again. 

“Couldn’t we have chosen different covers? Is that all they could think of?” There was a bite to Sakura’s voice as she finally let her doubts to the surface. 

“I don’t know.” Kakashi was rubbing his forehead as if he had a headache. He pulled off his wig and set it on the bedside table. “But we need to fix our story if we’re going to convince those people. We need to get inside the group and find out everything. There no way to do it from outside.”

“We could have posed at student and teacher too.” Sakura was letting her repressed rage go unchecked now.

“And what reason would we have to ask them for their help? Or what would be our excuse to join their group?”

“I don’t know! The usual? Lust for power?” Sakura wrung her hands in a frustrated motion. 

“You know that wouldn’t work if they’re a cautious group. We are already aware they don’t trust any outsiders. If we pretend we’re running away from officials, then we are on their side. They might consider dealing with us. And young lovers always seem to garner sympathy from people.” 

Sakura’s shoulders sagged in defeat. Maybe this was the best choice after all. 

“Don’t worry. We only have to pretend in public.”

That was the thing. Sakura didn’t want to pretend. She wanted it for real. She wanted him. His open, vulnerable side had worked her over. She was angry that he had tricked her into wanting him once again. Just when she had convinced herself that she could live without him. It sucked. 

As Sakura sat there, sulking, he reached out and ruffled her hair like he used to. Sakura froze like a deer in headlights. The mere touch had sent tingles down her spine. 

“Go to sleep, Sakura. We need to head out early tomorrow.”

Sakura nodded silently as he got up and pulled out a sleeping bag to sleep on the floor. She curled up on the large bed by herself and replayed the conversation they had just had. Her heart was beating madly. She wasn’t angry at him anymore. There was a strange giddiness in her stomach. She was actually looking forward to this mission now. 

‘Nothing’s going to change. He still doesn’t want you.’ But the nagging thought refused to dampen her spirits. She turned until she was facing him only to find him completed buried in the sleeping bag. Only his shock of silver hair was visible. It made her want to giggle. She was just excited to spend time with him now. 

***

“We’re looking to hire some shinobi. How can we get in touch with someone?” 

The clerk behind the counter of the inn gave them a suspicious look. Everyone they had passed by on the streets had looked hostile. There was a strange, heavy feeling in the air. Sakura didn’t like it one bit. She slid closer to Kakashi, taking comfort in his warmth.

“You’ll have to send a scroll to the hidden leaf. You can’t officially hire shinobi here.”

So, they were secretive about their business. Not unexpected. 

“We’re here on unofficial business. And we’re in a bit of trouble with the Leaf.” Kakashi leaned over and spoke softly as if the clerk was his confidant. His expression remained the same except for one raised eyebrow. Then he nodded. 

“Let me show you to your room. I will pass on your message to some people I know. You will be contacted by someone.” The clerk got up and took their bags, leading them to a room at the end of the hallway. 

As soon as he was gone Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. 

“That was really creepy.” She wondered if the rest of the people here were going to be the same.

Kakashi chuckled. His smile was so adorable. He had gotten rid of his mask and Sakura was still not used to seeing his bare face. It was such a nice view. If that was the perk, she could deal with all the creepy people this village had to offer. 

Kakashi broke her reverie as he sat down next to her. He was tense.

“I guess now all we can do is wait.”


	6. Some Liquid Courage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit long. I got carried away while trying to establish the plot a little.

“So, am I doing the damsel in distress act with you as my knight in shining armour?” Sakura asked Kakashi playfully. 

They were alone in the room now, waiting to be contacted by someone. It had been a couple of hours since the clerk had dropped them off. She was bored now. They have gone over the plan a couple of times. Kakashi was going to take the lead and Sakura would follow. 

Kakashi chuckled softly at her silly question. He was lounging on the small, worn-out couch that was crowded into the room. His beloved orange-jacketed Icha Icha was open to a page he had probably read a few too many times. He looked so cozy and comfortable. As if he didn’t have a care in the world. Looking at him, Sakura could easily forget they were even on a mission. She wanted to cuddle up with him. She shook the thought away as it came. She needed to stop fantasizing.

“Whatever role you are comfortable playing, Sakura. Just don’t let them know of your powers yet. Keep your chakra signature masked too. We need them to think we really need their help.”

Sakura turned to face him from where she was lying on the bed. “What was your fake name, again?”

“It’s Sukea, my dearest Mitsuko. You’ve run away with me and you don’t even know my name? That’s quite adventurous of you.” His tone was jovial and mocking and Sakura laughed as she threw a pillow at his head.

Kakashi stopped grinning suddenly and sat up straight. Sakura sensed it too. Someone was coming to their room. They fell silent and became alert. There was a knock on the door a moment later.  
Kakashi signalled Sakura to stay back and opened the door a tiny crack. It was a young boy, must be just a few younger than Sakura herself. He looked almost harmless, but his chakra signature said otherwise.

“You the ones looking to hire some ninja?” He tried to peek around Kakashi to look at Sakura who shrivelled just a little bit under his gaze.  
Kakashi nodded and the boy brusquely motioned them to follow him. Sakura and Kakashi picked up their packs and followed him. He didn't introduce himself and simply kept walking ahead, not even waiting for them or checking if they were following. 

Since they had arrived, they had been shut in their room, waiting to be contacted. They hadn’t had the chance to look around the village. It was much smaller than Konoha. As they made their way through the village, Sakura could see that the houses were mostly small and dilapidated. Even the marketplace looked as if it was falling apart. There were very few people on the street. The ones they came across looked like they were sick with some disease. 

The boy was leading them through alleyways and she was trying her best to commit the route to memory. They were narrow and shady, and each one looked worse than the previous one. It seemed that he was deliberately making sure they would not know their way if they needed to make a quick exit.

He stopped behind a nondescript building that was just a bit larger than everything else surrounding it. It looked like it had been maintained properly, in fact, it was the only building in the village that looked new. The massive black brick exterior was almost immaculate. The boy waited as they caught up, holding the door open. Sakura felt a tiny shiver go down her spine as they entered the building. 

The hallway that he led them through was dimly lit. They could hear their own footsteps echoing in the silence. Then finally, they rounded a corner and the hallway opened up to a large room. 

It was a bar. And it was surprisingly full for the time of the day. It seems the village was mostly empty because the people were in this bar. It was all dimly lit and all the windows were shut to keep the light out. Some of the people there looked as if they'd been there for a few days. 

Sakura felt uneasy as the people started to stare at them. They had been lethargic and inactive as they had entered. But the presence of the outsiders had alerted them. They had zoned in on the outsiders and their looks were not welcoming. The entire place had a creepy vibe and it made Sakura uncomfortable. There was just something in the gazes of these men that was quite unsettling. 

She quickened her pace to catch up to Kakashi and grabbed his coat sleeve. He stopped to look at her and she nervously hooked her arm with his. He understood her discomfort without her expressing it verbally and he smiled down at her. The look he gave her was so calm, it was so reassuring. Sakura instantly felt better. She hugged his arm as they followed the boy deeper into the building. She decided that she was just going to hang on to Kakashi for now. 

The boy led them to a room in the back of the bar. He knocked twice before someone opened the door from inside. The smell of cigarettes was the first thing to hit Sakura's nose, followed by the stench of alcohol. She kept herself from wrinkling her nose in disgust because the people here looked like they were easy to offend. The room was huge, there was a plush, round leather couch in the back of it. It was occupied by four men who were drinking and smoking. They were dressed in suits, which looked like they were pretty expensive. They took no notice of Kakashi or Sakura. 

The boy led them to the small table that was in the front of the room. There were two men sitting at this table, playing a game of cards. The boy walked over to the smaller of the two men and whispered something in his ear. They stopped their game and looked at Kakashi and Sakura. 

The man put down his cards and leaned back in his chair. His friend got up and joined him at the other side of the table. "So, you're the ones looking to hire shinobi. We heard about you." He pointed his chin at the two vacant chairs. The boy who had led them here had disappeared already. 

Kakashi took a seat and Sakura followed suit. "Yes. We are in need of protection."

These men were all business and no niceties. They hadn't even bothered to introduce themselves. The prospect of gaining their trust seemed less and less likely now. 

All of a sudden, the man grinned. "Don't look so troubled, girlie. We'll help you out," he winked at Sakura. It took everything she had to keep her face from twitching angrily and her fist from rearranging the guy's face. But Sakura just gave him a weak smile as she gripped the table angrily. 

"Who are you in trouble with?" the other man spoke up. His voice was soft, almost like a whisper. He didn't look as inebriated as his companion. 

"Some Leaf nin," came Kakashi's succinct reply. The men looked at each other and the short one grinned. 

"Name's Rei," he pointed at himself. And then at his companion, "This here is Kato. So, tell us. What did you do to get yourself in trouble with those pigs?" 

Sakura couldn't keep the frown from her face. But Kakashi was calm. "I'm Sukea. This here is my girlfriend, Mitsuko. We're running away from her father. He doesn't approve of our relationship. He's a high ranking leaf nin and he will go to any lengths to get me killed and his daughter back."

"My deepest condolences to you both," Rei gave them an ugly grin. "High ranking leaf nin. Who exactly did you piss off?" 

"That is not for you to know," Sakura spoke up angrily. The man was getting on her nerves. "We heard that there's a group of Shinobi who live near the border and can get people outside the land of fire without the authorities noticing. We want you to help us get out."

He eyed Sakura from top to bottom. She felt like withering under his creepy gaze. "That is going to take a hefty sum of money. Do you have that kind of dough on you, girlie?" 

"We don't have a lot of money right now. We want to strike a deal," Kakashi spoke up. 

"If you don't have the money, we can't help you. These are not times that we do things out of the goodness of our heart," it was Kato who spoke. 

"Hold on, Kato. They said they wanted to strike a deal. Let's hear them out first." Rei took a swig of his drink and looked expectantly at Kakashi. 

"We'll pay you what we have right now. We don't want guards to protect us. Think of this as a fee for joining your group. We want to be part of your organization. Her father can't come after us if there's a whole organization for him to take on."

Sakura waited with baited breath for the response. Rei and Kato both looked like Kakashi had suggested the stupidest thing on the planet. Rei was the first to start barking with laughter. 

"Who says we have an organization. And if we did, who says that we have any vacancies," he leaned back and crossed his arms. Sakura thought that to him it would be a move to make himself look more menacing. But he looked more like a puffed up chicken. She suppressed a giggle at the image. 

"We've heard it on the grapevine. Couple of missing nin told me this was the place to get a job," Kakashi's tone was calm and serious, as opposed to the overexcited buffoon who sat in front of them. Was it enough to make him believe though? 

Rei stared at Kakashi and when he saw that Kakashi wasn't going to budge, he shrugged.

"We might have a job for you. But we don't need a weak little girl to bring us down. You can keep her home and maybe we'll think of something."

What, the fucking hell? Sakura felt her blood boil and she readied her fist with chakra to pummel the bastard into the earth. But Kakashi held her wrist down under the table and kept it out of sight. He frowned at her and Sakura scoffed angrily at his disapproving look. 

"Mitsuko is an exceptional Shinobi. She might just be one of the best that the Hidden Leaf has ever produced," the look in his eyes was genuine as he looked at Sakura. She softened and lowered her fist. 

"We are a package deal. We've run away from her father because he threatened to tear us apart. He assembled a special squad to track us down and it is still after us. We managed to lose them before we found your village." Sakura was amazed at Kakashi's ability to lie right out of his ass. Damn. 

"And if you don't want to help us, that is up to you. We'll leave your village. But we won't leave as quietly as we came. The squad might just pick our trail once again right here in your bar."

Rei's eyes were widened with disbelief and so were Kato's. The smug grin was wiped right off his face as Kakashi towered over them. He had pulled Sakura up with him and they made to move towards the exit. 

This is reckless, Sakura wanted to tell Kakashi. You shouldn't have taken a gamble with something like this. She squeezed his hand anxiously and he squeezed it back reassuringly. 

The stunned silence was once again broken by Rei's guffawing laughter. "Damn. I can't believe you'd fuck up your own chances at escape just because I said something bad about your girl here. All right, I get the message. We'll help you. Why don't you calm down and we all have a drink, huh?" 

It worked?! 

They sat back down and Rei ordered a round of drinks for them. Glasses of beer were brought by a young girl dressed in a skimpy costume. Rei whispered something rude to her but the girl didn't even flinch. Sakura felt angrier and angrier by the second. The urge to pummel him into the earth was growing stronger and stronger. 

But that time would come later. Now was the time for false niceties. Rei started talking about the organization. At first, he didn't give many details except that they owned the entire village and that somebody with a lot of money was bankrolling the entire operation. He started bragging as he drank more and his companion subtly tried to get him to shut up, but it was of no use. 

He downed four glasses in quick succession and tried to force Kakashi and Sakura to drink too. "Come on, let's celebrate your freedom from this bastard father of yours, eh?" Rei gave Sakura a creepy grin that made her skin crawl. She gave him an angry stare and refused to pick up the beer. 

Kato, who wasn't as drunk, smiled sheepishly at Sakura. "He's a bit much, I know. But this is a moment to celebrate. Let's drink to our future together."

Sakura smiled politely and sipped at the beer. It tasted so horrible that she couldn't keep herself from making a face. Kato laughed at her expression. "I'll order something better for you."

The waitress returned with what looked like a bottle of sake and four small cups. She kept it down and walked away before Rei could reach out to grope her. Sakura looked at Kakashi's tightly controlled expression. There was a tight tension in his shoulders. Now that he wasn't wearing a mask, she could actually see how expressive his face was. It was both amazing and unnerving at the same time. 

While their new teammates relaxed more with every sip of alcohol they took, Kakashi and Sakura became more visibly tensed. Sakura, being light headed, was worried that one drop more than her capacity and she would say or do something weird. But both Rei and Kato kept insisting they drink more. 

"Really, we're not day drinkers. We can join the party later," Kakashi gave a small smile as he pushed the cup of sake back. 

"There's no night and day here, only enjoyment. Now come, take a drink and celebrate your new found freedom," Rei pushed the cup in Kakashi's hand. His tone had been aggressive and Kakashi took the cup and downed it. Sakura followed suit. 

What she tasted was not the usual taste of sake. It burned through her throat and left a bitter taste on her tongue. It was something really strong and Sakura knew a few more cups and she'd be too drunk to be managed. 

The bar outside started getting even noisier as the day got over. There were a couple more people who had joined them at the table. Rei had introduced them to each other but Sakura had quickly forgotten their names. Probably not a great idea because this was, still, a mission. But the alcohol was fudging her brain and she needed to either lie down or throw up. 

She looked over at Kakashi who looked very normal and composed. There was only a slight tinge on his face despite the fact that he had had much more of that horrible drink than her. She tried to get his attention but they were all talking at him loudly. Someone was trying to talk to her too and she couldn't process the words. She needed to get out. 

She poked Kakashi's arm, only to have him ignore her. Someone had put another cup of the vile drink in her hand without her noticing and she tried to put it down. But suddenly, Kato appeared beside her and jovially tried to get her to drink. She smiled and shook her head but he kept grinning expectantly. The music from outside the room had gotten louder and it was giving her a headache. He was almost breathing down her neck now and she downed the cup before he could get any closer. She smiled widely as she showed him the empty cup and he sat down again, placated for now. 

What were they trying to do? Was this a ploy to get them to talk of their free will? It was either going to work soon or she was going to pass out. 

"Ka…" Fuck! She had once again forgotten the fake name he had told her. She wanted to shake him desperately but she didn't want the others to notice it. She sneaked her hand under the table and reached out to his thigh. Once she'd found the muscled expanse of his thigh, she lost her train of thought again. The alcohol was fucking up her inhibitions and was making her stupid and bold. Her hand roamed his thigh leisurely, softly stroking the smooth fabric of his pants. She was gazing off in the distance when she suddenly felt his hot breath on her ear. 

He spoke in a low whisper as he leaned over her, "You've got my attention." The way he spoke sent shivers down Sakura's spine. She wanted him to speak to her like that all the time. 

It took a lot of effort for her to focus on his face as he looked at her intently. His expression was dark and serious, it reminded her of the way he had looked at her when he was about to fuck her. 

Fuck. The thoughts spilled into her head and she had to use every last bit of her restraint to focus on the present. She had tried to not think of that night and she had tried to bottle up her lust for him. But nothing was working right now. 

"I need to… leave," was all she could manage as he kept looking at her intently. 

Kakashi nodded and said something to Rei who made a fuss about them leaving. Sakura had zoned out once again, fully indulging in the horny thoughts running amok in her head. She faintly registered a groan as Rei reluctantly allowed Kakashi to leave. She felt Kakashi pull her up by the arm and she fell into him, not trusting her legs to walk. 

They made their way out of the room with Kakashi supporting most of Sakura's weight. It was only when they were finally out of the building that Sakura heaved a breath of relief. 

It was way past sunset and the moon was already out. Sakura couldn't believe they had been in there for most part of the day. It made her head whirl and she doubled over. 

"Fuck. That sucked," she said with a groan. The alcohol was threatening to leave the way it had come. She needed to metabolize it or she was going to instantly pass out. 

"Yes. That drink they gave us wasn't normal," Kakashi agreed as he stood there breathing deeply. 

Sakura felt a little mad that he looked completely all right. She straightened up and punched his shoulder lightly. "You look completely fine, Sensei." 

"Hey. Remember why we are here?" Kakashi stepped closer to Sakura and caught her gaze. She found it really hard to focus. Weren't his eyes gray and not brown? Was he wearing contacts? She missed his silver hair. He was so close, she could just reach out and kiss him. Fuck, he smelled so good. It was so much better than the disgusting smell that had plagued her in the bar. Even the smell of alcohol coming off of him was delicious. 

Sakura's mind was wandering and she could do little to stop it. Kakashi caught her by the arms and shook her slightly. "Mitsuko, are you okay?" he said loudly. 

Sakura looked up at him, confused. Mitsuko, who was Mitsuko? Her name was Sakura. How could Kakashi have forgotten? What was happening, why was she here and why was Kakashi dressed so weirdly. "Who's Mitsuko? What are you wearing? Are you wearing a wig? What's going on Kaka…" 

Before his name could leave Sakura's lips, Kakashi had silenced her. Now, the method he chose was a little unconventional. He could have simply put a hand against her mouth. But he did something far more controversial. 

And it took her a moment to register that he was kissing her. She had wanted to be kissed but she was slightly angry that he did it like this. She pushed him off of her and he stopped kissing her. But instead of moving away he still had her caged in his arms. He pressed her into the wall with his body and his lips were roaming next to her ear. 

He didn't kiss her, instead he whispered something. "You're going to blow our cover. There are at least four people in this alley who can hear us. At least two of them have currently got eyes on us. Are you going to behave or not?" 

He could have said anything, but he asked her to behave. Sakura felt a rush of arousal at his words because all she could think about was the way he had dominated her when they had fucked. 

His closeness was fogging up her brain but his words had finally managed to catch her attention. She had almost fucked up the entire mission. But the key word was almost and right now she couldn't feel the guilt. Because all her thoughts were still about him kissing her. It had been quick and rough and now that Sakura had had another taste, she wanted more. 

He was looking at her for any sign of cognizance and she shoved herself off the wall and nodded at him. She saw his nose twitching as he turned away and suppressed her urge to giggle. She kept forgetting that he could smell her arousal. But what should have been humiliating was just more arousing, now that her inhibitions had been fucked up. 

She stumbled a few times as they walked back and he got too frustrated with her lack of balance. He stopped and asked her to climb his back and Sakura shyly refused. 

"I'm going to throw you over my shoulder and carry you anyway. You're not the only one affected by that crappy alcohol." There was an angry blush on his face and it made him so much cuter. Sakura bit her lip and blushed deep red at the thought of being carried by him like that. She reluctantly climbed on his back and he took to the rooftops. 

She was amazed that he could remember the way. Must be his nose or something. Or maybe it was the years of experience. Or his genius level intellect. Whatever it was, Sakura was glad that she could rely on it. She hugged her legs closer to him and buried her face in the nape of his neck. 

It was over too soon. They were in their room in minutes and he was already putting her down. She managed to stumble a few steps until she was on the bed. She fell face first on the bed and didn't see what he was doing. 

She heard the bathroom door close and the shower turned on moments later. Now that she was alone, she let her thoughts run freely. The arousal was climbing higher and higher and it seemed that her brain had emptied of all other thoughts. She wanted to join him in the shower. She hadn't had the chance to explore his body the last time. She wanted to let her hands roam over the expanse of his chest and back. She wanted to kiss and lick every inch of his neck. She wanted him to fall apart in her hands just like she'd fallen apart in his. 

Her eyes were hazy with lust as her hand started to roam along her body. She grabbed her breast and rubbed the erect nipple harshly. She was feeling so hot. She wanted him. She needed him right now. 

She pulled off her shirt and threw it across the room. The next to go was her bra. Her hands reached inside her pants and she found herself so very wet. Her fingers drew urgent circles around her clit as she thought about the way he had kissed her tonight. 

The door opened suddenly and Sakura was brought out of her haze. She raised herself on her elbows to look at Kakashi who had stepped out of the shower deliciously wet. He was wearing only a towel, slung low on his hips. He was rubbing his hair dry and he stared at her with a look so intense that Sakura wanted to touch herself again. 

All thought of shyness had been chased away by this alcohol. It was something dangerous. But Sakura didn't care about that right now. The only thing she cared about was how he was looking at her. Hungrily. As if he was ready to devour her. 

"Why did you kiss me?" she asked hoarsely. Her inhibitions may be gone but he had still broken her heart with his rejection of her. And that was something she could not forget. 

"It was the only way," he said softly. He was still staring intently at her. 

"Always the same bullshit excuse." Sakura sat up straight. Her tits jiggled as she sat on her folded knees. Kakashi's stare zoned in on her chest. He didn't even try to mask his desire for her now. So, the alcohol had done something to him too. 

"You wanted to kiss me." Sakura accused him with narrowed eyes. 

"I've wanted to do that for a while now," his reply was honest. He threw the towel across the room and started walking towards the bed. 

"Then why do you keep telling me you can't. Why do you keep telling yourself you can't?" 

"Because I know that I'm only going to hurt you." 

Sakura scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. That made him look her in the eyes again. She smirked. "What makes you think I'm so fragile?" 

There was a pained expression on his face. And Sakura didn't care for it. His bare torso was making her think several delicious thoughts. 

"Experience." His answers, as always, were so helpful. Sakura rolled her eyes. 

"Just the other day you spoke so much about us saving you. You hadn't expected that to happen. Why are you expecting that this will also end up badly?" 

He came and sat down on the bed next to her. His towel rode a little high on his thigh and Sakura stared unabashedly. It was his turn to smirk. 

"Because I'm afraid of hurting you. I'm afraid of losing you as a friend. I'd rather have you in my life as a friend for a long time. Than follow this path of short-lived happiness and lose you forever."

"That logic is entirely idiotic. I want you, Kakashi. I don't care if it's the alcohol speaking. I need you."

"Sakura. This won't end well." 

"I don't care. We're different people right now. We're far away from judgment. It's just us. We can think about the rest of the stuff later."

"Sakura…," his voice was a soft whisper against her skin. He was cupping her face and Sakura felt herself melt into his touch. He rested his forehead against hers and they breathed each other softly for a while. 

The arousal that Sakura had tamped down for this conversation nagged her once again and she pushed him away slightly. Deciding to take matter into her own hands, she hiked up her skirt and climbed into his lap. 

He was caught off guard as Sakura planted her hands on both sides of his head and started kissing him. It was weeks worth of pent up frustration and she was pouring it all into one kiss. He balanced himself on the bed with one hand as Sakura put all her force behind kissing him. His other hand grabbed her waist and pulled her closer. 

Sakura pulled his lower lip into her mouth with her teeth and bit down on it harshly. He made a noise of surprise but Sakura had already moved to sucking on the bitten part and licking it softly to make it better. She aggressively started planting kisses on his neck. His clean, woodsy scent was turning her on more and more and she gyrated in his lap. 

"Sakura," his voice was soft and carried a hint of surprise as she kept planting aggressive kisses along his neck. She bit down on his neck and started sucking on it, determined to leave a mark. He let out the tiniest moan at that action and Sakura stopped. 

She raised her head to stare at him. He looked dazed and Sakura felt a gush of pride and power in that moment. He looked aroused beyond reason, exactly how he had made her feel that day. 

Sakura grinned wickedly at him. Finally. She had him now. She was going to make sure of it. She was going to make Kakashi Hatake fall apart in her hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hold on to your horses, the next chapter is going to be full of smut. 
> 
> Also, please leave a comment if you like the story.


	7. In Delirium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just smut. Shameless, shameless smut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been thinking about this chapter for so long I just had to get it out of my system.
> 
> If you were waiting for plot, I'm sorry but you'll need to wait. If you're here for the smut, then find some privacy because this is horniness supreme!!

Sakura's head was swimming. She couldn't think straight. The only coherent thought in her head was that she wanted him. Her brain was fogged with arousal and as she sat in his lap, kissing him and rubbing herself against his growing erection, she felt less satisfied and more aroused. 

She didn't know what was happening to her. All she could think of was how she needed him to touch her. How much she needed to touch him. She had been kissing him for so long, her lungs were aching for want of breath. But she didn't want to let him go yet. What if this was just a fever dream and he would disappear as soon as she let go. 

She pressed her entire body to his and kissed him even more frantically. Their chests were pressed against each other and Sakura desperately ground her hips in his lap. The contact was too much to handle but also not enough at the same time. She was feeling delirious. 

Suddenly she felt his fingers wrap in her hair. They were gentle for just a moment and then he grabbed the back of her head and pulled until she let go of his lips. His eyes were dark and intense as he panted. Sakura shivered at the look he was giving her. Now that she was forced to catch her breath, she started to relax. 

His lips were swollen with the aggressive way Sakura had kissed him and she felt a wicked surge of pride once again. 

"Do you want me, Sensei?" Sakura's tone was teasing. She gyrated her hips in his lap and felt his erection respond to her. She had to stifle a moan as she waited for his response. She wanted him to crumble. 

"You know I do," his voice was so low, so deep. It also sent a pleasant vibration along Sakura's chest and she sighed in delight. She shifted her hips in his lap until she could feel his erection rubbing against her clit. Once she felt the friction on it, she moved again. Kakashi stared at her as she took her pleasure from him. It seemed that her wanton display was turning him on. 

"Sakura. What do you want?" His grip on her hair was tight, she could barely move her head without him letting her. 

She reached back and pried his fingers off her hair. "You know I want you," her hands were planted on his shoulder now and she shifted her weight to rub her clit against his erection once again. "I want you so much, sometimes it is all I can think about. You make me so hot, Sensei," she moaned as she planted soft kisses along his jaw. His hands gripped her hips softly and aided her movements in his lap. 

"Don't call me Sensei. Or I'll have to discipline you," he said with a dark chuckle. Sakura stopped nibbling at his ear and giggled. 

"Two can play this game. And it's my turn today, Sensei," she flicked her tongue against the sensitive spot under his ear and felt him suppress a shudder. 

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sakura felt a little surprised at this behaviour of hers. She had never been so bold with anyone before. She had never taken control of a situation like this. But it was something about Kakashi that made her want to do things to him. Delicious, dirty things. 

Before she could start overthinking things and before the alcohol could evaporate and bring her rationality back, Sakura decided to let all her inhibitions go. 

"Touch me," she looked at Kakashi and commanded. He obeyed immediately, his hands moving to grip her ass as he lifted her and ground her against his cock. He then grabbed her head and brought her down for a hungry kiss. His hands were gripping her thighs so tightly, it almost hurt. 

But Sakura was revelling in the pain. He kissed her hard, biting her lips just as she had bit his. And she felt herself growing wetter as he dominated her mouth. She shifted in his lap as he coaxed her to pull out her legs and wrap them around his back. The position lined her cunt snugly with his hard cock and she moaned at the delicious feeling. 

His hands travelled up her torso to grip her tits harshly. He kneaded them with his hands, pulling at her nipples and rolling them between his thumb and forefinger. His touch was harsh, he seemed to have abandoned all restraint as he fondled her. Sakura didn't mind it at all. She was enjoying the way the pain was making her feel. And she wanted more. 

She suddenly found herself gasping for breath as his mouth disappeared from against hers. The nipple he had pinched and rolled so roughly had turned a dark shade of red. And now she felt his warm tongue licking it softly. She moaned at the slight relief but gasped with pain when he bit down on it again. Fuck. She was going to lose her mind if he kept doing this. 

She was now rubbing her clothed cunt against his cock faster and faster. He didn't try to help her with it. She wanted to pull off her skirt and panties but he seemed content to just keep playing with her tits. He was biting them all over. She couldn't help but throw back her head and moan loudly as he sucked on them roughly. She looked down at him to see him staring at her with intent eyes as he slowly licked one very painfully erect nipple. She whimpered at the way he was looking at her, suddenly forgetting that she wanted to control him. The fire within his eyes was burning her as his hands set her skin aflame. And just like that she was cumming. 

All it took was her rubbing herself fervently against his cock. She went rigid as it hit her suddenly, arching her back and trying to push away his hungry mouth. But he didn't seem to care that it was too much for her. He grabbed her hips and pulled her down against his cock with force that made Sakura cry out. His mouth on her tits was unrelenting. She rode out the waves of her orgasm as he continued to grind her down on his cock. 

But the high of the orgasm didn't really fade away. Instead of the usual dramatic fall that would leave her satisfied, this orgasm just ebbed into dull waves. She couldn't open her eyes. She felt like she would never stop cumming if he kept touching her like that. She gasped as she felt the bed against her back suddenly. He was on top of her, stealing her breath with a scorching kiss. 

The orgasm had finally subsided but she didn't feel satisfied. She wanted more. And the way Kakashi was kissing her, it felt like he was going to make sure she got what she wanted. She let her hands roam the expanse of his solid chest and shivered when she felt the rippling muscles underneath her palms. 

When he moved away to kiss her neck and leave a large mark on it, Sakura took a deep breath to calm down. It didn't help. Her pussy was throbbing with urgent need. She couldn't believe she had cum just from rubbing herself against his cock. Fuck. She needed to feel his touch on her skin right now. Her hands flew down to her skirt, pulling the zipper. She wriggled as she tried to push the skirt down and he noticed her desperation. He grinned down at her eagerness and Sakura would have blushed if she weren't so aroused and in need of his touch. 

"Please," was all she could manage. Being the responsive lover that he was, Kakashi immediately pulled her skirt off and Sakura heaved a sigh of relief. He grabbed her thigh and hooked her leg behind his back. His hand snaked down her torso to the soaking wet place between her legs. 

"Fuck, Sakura," Kakashi groaned as if he was in pain. He buried his face in her neck and inhaled deeply. Sakura writhed beneath his fingers, eager for him to touch her. He was teasing her with soft touches, gliding along her clit and circling her entrance. Frustrated, because Sakura had no patience for his teasing today, she grabbed his hand and tried to push his fingers in her waiting pussy. 

He chuckled as he raised his head to look at her. His grin suddenly disappeared as he pushed not one but two fingers in and Sakura arched her back with the pleasure. A moan escaped from somewhere deep in her throat and she bucked into his touch. 

Kakashi was a generous man today, his fingers were hitting her g-spot in rough and quick strokes. Sakura felt another orgasm build again and she moaned, the arousal shutting off every other thought. She lay there, her limbs tingling as the whole expanse of her skin burned with arousal. She was feeling so much that her brain had shut off everything but the pleasure. Her hips bucked into Kakashi's fingers involuntarily and she frantically tried to find Kakashi's lips to kiss him. She pulled him on top of her, relishing the way his weight was crushing her as his fingers worked magic on her pussy. 

She felt her clit throb when he brought his thumb to circle it and the high made her entire body go numb. Her mouth fell open, pliant to Kakashi's invasive tongue as it licked and sucked everything it could reach. Her orgasm hit her like a brick wall and she felt like she was tumbling over and over through the air. She was floating as her body was tingling all over. She faintly registered her pussy gush wetness all over Kakashi's hand. She couldn't bring herself to be embarrassed about it. 

Especially when he was giving her that look. That heavy lidded, dark look, with his lips slightly parted. As if he couldn't hold back anymore. 

Sakura felt her body tingle with oversensitivity. She still wanted more. But now that her urgent need to cum had subsided, she wanted to get back to her original plan. Which had been to make Kakashi beg for her. 

She shoved his shoulder so he fell on the bed. He looked at her with those hooded eyes, his dark eyes looked almost pitch black. Sakura felt like she was falling in an endless abyss when she looked at them. She felt like she was having an out of body experience as she climbed over him and aligned her dripping pussy over his hard cock. She planted her palms on his abs and thrust against him experimentally. She had to bite back a moan as she felt her arousal climb into her head once again. 

She reached below her and grabbed the towel that had managed to remain on his hips even after all this. She pulled at it as if it had personally offended her, and threw it away. His cock sprang free and stood upright as she cradled her palm against it. Kakashi remained still, waiting for her to make a move, his hands were gently resting against her hips. The silent motion of letting her have control in the moment made Sakura even hotter. 

She hadn't gotten a close look at his cock last time. She knew it was big, both in length and thickness but she had not expected this. She bit her lip shyly as she thought how it had fit so deliciously inside her. She traced her fingers softly along his length, wrapping her palm around his girth and found that her fingers didn't meet. Fuck. How exactly had he fit inside her? 

Gently, she pumped his hardened cock up and down and it seemed to jump excitedly in her hand. Kakashi was just observing her and she looked at him for approval or instructions, she didn't know which. She wanted to know what made him feel good. As if he had read her mind, Kakashi's hand was on top of hers, and he forced her palm to grip him tighter. He jerked himself off with her hand and Sakura felt her mouth dry up at the action. But as soon as he had brought his hand on top of hers, he removed it too. 

Sakura looked at him heatedly and understood what he wanted. He didn't want her to jerk him off. She leaned forward to kiss him, softly, in contrast to the earlier aggressive kisses. She planted soft kisses along his neck, licking the beautiful expanse of smooth skin with her tongue. Her hips adjusted of their own accord to align her pussy with his cock. She was softly rubbing against him, not letting him enter her. His hands on her hips were holding her strongly now and she grinned to herself at his impatience. 

She was kissing the soft expanse of his chest when she felt him thrust up into her softly. She raised her head to chuckle, mocking him just like he had mocked her. It seemed that her gentle kisses were too much for him to process. His eyes were glazed over and his mouth had fallen open. His hair was surrounding him like a bed of pure snow and Sakura burned the image in her head. He was so fucking beautiful. 

Her heart skipped a beat as she just looked at him, lost in the pleasure that she was giving him. She felt the surge of pride again in her belly and grinned happily. He hazily opened his eyes to look at her, wondering why she had stopped. 

She waited for him to focus his attention on her and then let her hands explore the expanse of his chest. She sat up straight, his cock hard and erect as she rubbed her sopping pussy against it. When her fingers brushed his nipples, she felt him twitch. 

Oh. That was interesting. She let her fingers gently rub over his nipples and saw him bite his lip to suppress a moan. Fuck, that was so hot. Before she could even process what she was doing, her fingers were rubbing his nipples roughly, twisting them and digging nails into them. Kakashi bucked underneath her, the moan he had tried so hard to suppress sprang out unwarranted. His grip on her hips was bruising now as his fingers dug into her skin. But he made no move to stop her. 

Emboldened, Sakura leaned forward and gave an experimental lick to one of his erect nipples. The response was instantaneous as he moaned aloud. Fuck. Sakura was going to cum by just looking at him like this. She bit down harshly on it and felt him buck against her once more. She licked the abused nipple softly and he shuddered beneath her. 

She stopped suddenly as she sat up again. He slowly opened his eyes. There was a heat in his eyes that hadn't been there before. It was the heat of humiliation and the pleasure of enjoying it. Sakura knew that look because she wore it herself whenever she thought about Kakashi. Unable to wait even a second longer, Sakura gripped his cock and raised her hips. She slowly started sinking on his cock, her pussy lips opening and stretching to make room. It felt too much in this position, a little painful too. But Sakura wanted all of him. The little pain that it brought had done nothing but turned her on. 

She threw back her head and moaned aloud at how good it felt. "Fuck," she fell forward against his chest, unable to keep herself upright. Her hips bucked of their own accord as she rocked back and forth on his cock. Kakashi was still staring at her with that same hooded gaze. She gripped his hair and kissed him hard. 

"Take whatever you want from me, Sakura," he spoke in his velvety smooth voice and Sakura had to suppress a shudder. She buried her face in his neck and tried to breathe deeply to calm herself. It didn't work because his scent just served to turn her on more. Her hips were now falling and rising on his cock with an urgent rhythm.

It took her just a few more thrusts to orgasm again and she muffled her cry against his neck. Her hips bucked so frantically that she almost slipped off his cock but his supportive hands held her in place. 

Her hips stopped bucking and she slowly stopped moving so urgently atop him. She was still rocking back and forth languidly when she came down from her high. She still wanted more of him. 

Her lips found his jaw and she was sinking her teeth in them, followed by an eager tongue that licked at the bite generously. His hand roughly travelled over her spine, to twist in her hair once again. She raised her head only to be pulled into a deep kiss. Her hips started moving again, slowly rocking into him. 

When they broke apart from the kiss, Sakura sat up straight and ground her hips in small circles. She took his hands that had been resting on her hips and put them on her tits, roughly squeezing them as she did. He took the hint immediately and started kneading them, pinching the nipples harshly once again. She felt her arousal build up again and she was suddenly pulling her entire body up and down on his cock. She bounced fervently as he played with her tits. Suddenly she shoved his hands off of her and leaned down again to capture his nipple in her teeth. 

He moaned beneath her as she continued to play with the other one with her right hand. "Sakura, I'm gonna cum if you keep doing that," his voice was pained. It sounded so far away. But Sakura took the warning and sat up straight. She looked at his scrunched up face and felt the high of power once again. Her fingers found his jaw and without her even thinking about it, she was prying his mouth open. She thrust her thumb into his mouth and he sucked it in immediately. Sakura gasped sharply and started to buck her hips once again. Fuck. He was so hot. She couldn't keep her thoughts together. 

"Sensei," she whined as if she was so aroused that it pained her. He wrapped his hand in her hair once again and brought her down for a kiss. This one was gentle and it drove the frenzy away. Her hips resumed their languid pace as his tongue licked hers. As they kept kissing, the heat returned and Sakura felt like she was burning all over. 

She tore away from the kiss and sat back. She wanted his touch everywhere. She needed more. She grabbed his hands and planted them on her ass. 

"Spank me, Sensei," she pleaded. To Kakashi's credit, he didn't bat an eye. Instead, he growled low in his chest and the spank reverberated in the room the very next second. The tingling pain travelled from the spot on her ass and spread across her whole body. Sakura felt her nipples harden once again and they drew his attention. He sat up suddenly, the position shifting his cock inside her and making it feel even larger. Oh fuck. 

His hands were gripping her ass as he brought her down on his cock harshly. The next moment she felt him spank both her cheeks simultaneously and the resulting pleasure and pain blinded her for a moment. She rocked fervently as he continued to spank her, he orgasm threatening to crash over her any second now. 

"Kakashi, please," she moaned. "Sakura," he gripped her hair once again to grab her attention. His fingers were digging harshly into her ass, right where he had spanked her. The pain felt arousing, it felt relieving when he thrust up into her harshly. 

"Come with me, Sensei," she kissed his lips softly. The contrast of his rough touch on her ass and pussy and the softness of her kiss were too much. She found herself being pushed into the mattress once again as he started fucking her hard. 

The bed started to protest and creak at his punishing pace but he wasn't about to slow down. Her legs were trapped between them, her ankles almost next to his face. Sakura sobbed with pleasure at the way he was roughly fucking her. Her orgasm started as a gentle wave that kept climbing higher and higher until her pussy was clenched tightly around his cock. She could feel the walls of her vagina tremble and pulse and she lost her senses for a second. His pace faltered when her pussy kept squeezing him, unrelenting. He thrust hard, pushing in as deep as he could and stilled. She felt his cock pulse and as it shot cum deep inside her. Her pussy responded with a throb that was almost too sensitive to not be painful. 

He collapsed on top of her, his face buried in her neck as he tried to regain his breathing. Sakura finally felt a little less foggy as the arousal started to clear up. 

She waited for the guilt and regret to hit her but it never did. All she felt was his delicious weight on top of her. She wrapped her arms around him and softly ran her fingers through his hair. He moaned softly as he pulled his weight off of her. 

But he was back again as he gently rearranged her to lie down properly on the bed. Sakura felt the urge to giggle as he did but let him do it anyway. Once he was satisfied with how she was placed, he turned on his side and hugged her waist. His head was placed on top of her chest and his hair tickled her underneath the chin. 

"Is this how you're planning to sleep, Sensei?" she chuckled when she felt him snuggle even closer to her body. It felt so strange to have him curled around her like this. It was a show of vulnerability and trust. Well, tonight had been an entire exercise in vulnerability and trust. He had, after all, let her have her way with him. 

"Shh," he mumbled sleepily. "Talk tomorrow." Sakura couldn't argue as she felt her eyelids suddenly grow heavier. She had passed out even before she knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aahh I hope you guys liked it. Please leave a comment if you did!!


	8. One Day At A Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I keep disappearing. Life is extremely hectic. :((
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's going to move into plot territory now

The sun was streaming through the gap in the curtains and Sakura threw her arm over her eyes. Her head was throbbing and the harsh sunlight wasn't helping. She felt groggy and it took her quite some effort to open her eyes. 

It took her even longer to register her current circumstances. She was lying on her side and someone was hugging her tightly from behind. As she squinted in the sunlight, memories of last night came flooding back. Kakashi's head was buried in the nape of her neck and he was softly snoring. His breath tickled her and Sakura shivered as the coolness of it touched her. One of his arms was under her head, she'd been using it as a pillow. The other was snaked around her torso, right under her tits, and it was a tight hold. One of his legs was also thrown over her and she could feel something poking her in the backside. 

She had a splitting headache but even that couldn't keep her from growing hotter as she recollected the events of last night. She had never orgasmed so many times in her life. It had been like he'd opened the gate to a dam inside her and so much had come pouring out. Fuck. And the way he had let her take control, the way he had let her ride him and dominate him. Fuck. 

Her head was pounding but Sakura was feeling turned on once again. The fact that he was wrapped around her so tightly wasn't helping either. They were snuggled so closely, she could feel his hard chest behind her back. His lips were softly resting on her skin and it gave her goosebumps. She pulled his arm around her a little tighter and pushed her body back into him. Fuck. His cock was rock hard and it was nestled plush against her backside. Sakura found her hips involuntarily shifting and bucking, trying to get more of his cock. 

That made him stir a little. He groaned groggily and instead of making a move to get up, tightened his hold on Sakura. He pulled her even closer and trapped her with his leg. Sakura couldn't move at all but she definitely didn't mind it. It felt so comforting, other than the damned headache, this is exactly what she wanted. 

She had never been as aroused in her life as she had been last night. And she had never done the things she had done. The things he'd done to her or she'd done to him. It had been so arousing but it had all felt so safe. She had felt so free in just letting go of all her inhibitions. It had been so comforting knowing that he'd be right there for her. Her instincts had told her that he'd be there to catch her if she fell. 

But what if he woke up and acted like the other day again? The thought left a sour taste in Sakura's mouth and it amplified her headache just some more. She felt a surge of annoyance and tried to pull his arm off of her. 

But what she had hoped for didn't happen. In a split second, she felt Kakashi awaken and then stiffen as he came to his senses. And then she found herself being pinned on the bed and all the air knocked out of her as his arm wrapped around her neck. She didn't have time to even think as he growled angrily. Sakura gasped and tried to breathe, she flailed her arms, trying to pull his hand away. But it was no use. 

"Who are you?" What the fuck? Did he not recognise her? Angrily, because her oxygen supply was being cut off, Sakura gathered some chakra in her fist and tried to punch him. Luckily, her punch landed on his shoulder and he responded with a pained cry. He let go of her and Sakura sat up on the bed, putting enough distance between them. 

"Kakashi Sensei, it's me, Sakura. Are you okay?" He didn't look good. Her punch hadn't done much harm but his face was scrunched up in pain. He was lying on the bed with his hands across his face. And he was oh so naked. Sakura tried to tear her eyes away from the thing that had been poking her backside a minute ago, but she could not. She hungrily drank in the sight of his naked body, so beautifully on display for her. 

"Sakura?" Kakashi winced as he tried to open his eyes. He couldn't adjust to the light too. Hm, something was up, Sakura thought. 

"Your hair… it's…"

"We're on a mission, Sensei. Are you not feeling good? Should I check your vitals?" Her gaze lingered on his groin, she wanted to climb him and ride him once again. He looked so fucking good naked. Sakura had seen many naked bodies in her lifetime as a medic ninja. But there was something about Kakashi's exquisitely lean physique and his defined muscles that kept Sakura's eyes glued to him. 

"My head feels so heavy. I can't seem to open my eyes." 

The way his face scrunched up in pain made Sakura push away all her thoughts of arousal and hurry to check him up. She found that his chakra had been disturbed as there was a drug in his system. It was causing the sharp headache, that was similar to a hangover. She let the healing chakra flow from her hands to regulate his chakra flow once again. He breathed a soft sigh of relief when the headache reduced a little. 

He opened his eyes, blinking to get adjusted to the light and immediately blushed when he saw Sakura's naked state. The pink on his cheeks looked so tantalizing. Sakura tried not to grin to herself as she sat there and silently checked herself too. Her chakra had been disturbed too, except it wasn't as bad as Kakashi's. She eased her headache and opened her eyes, only to find that Kakashi had covered himself up with a sheet. 

Oh, so now he wanted to be modest? Ha. 

"Sakura, last night…" 

"We really don't have to talk about it, Sensei," Sakura said with a tight smile as she got up to find her clothes. She found her shirt and put it on and then put her undies back on too. The headache was gone but whatever had caused it, still needed to be investigated. Sakura found her kit and started to draw samples of her blood. Then she took a vial and brought it to Kakashi, asking him silently if she could take a sample from him too. He extended his arm without any fuss. 

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it? Because you said we'll talk about it later."

"Well. I don't see the point of discussing the same thing over and over." Sakura's voice was small. She didn't need to feel the pain of rejection once again. 

There was a beat of silence and then she felt his presence next to her. He coaxed her to look up at him with a gentle finger under her chin. He wasn't entirely naked now, just his chest was bare, the rest hidden by the traitorous sheet. But it was easier to talk to him this way. 

"I've been thinking about things. Last night you said that we are different people on this mission. That we can do what we want. Do you really think that's a good idea?" 

Sakura looked up at him and rolled her eyes. "I was pretty drunk. And so were you. And I'm pretty sure we were drugged."

His face fell when he realized Sakura wanted to chalk it off as a drunken mistake. 

"Right. So that's that."

Sakura turned away and started working on analysing the drug. Kakashi stood there for a few more moments but Sakura continued to ignore him. She didn't know what to say. It wasn't as if he was proposing they be together now. She heard him shut himself in the bathroom and turn on the shower. She needed one too, desperately. She hadn't even cleaned up after last night. Ugh. 

Before long, Kakashi was out of the bathroom. He was wearing a towel again and Sakura refused to look at him this time, hiding her fierce blush as he went about dressing up. She waited for the blood samples to be analysed and looked everywhere but at him. It felt agonizing, to be unable to talk. Granted, this time he was the one who had approached her. But Sakura had an inkling of the things he was going to say. And she didn't want to hear them. 

She was standing anxiously before her medical kit, gnawing on her lower lip, trying to sort out her thoughts. She felt him stand right behind her, looking over her shoulder as she observed the machine. 

"Found anything yet?" his voice was all business again. Sakura hated it. She hated how easy it was for him to just slip back into the same, unaffected person. She felt a surge of anger. 

"It takes time," she said through gritted teeth. 

"Sakura," he pulled her arm softly so she would turn to face him. She didn't want to. Sakura turned around reluctantly to look up at his bare face. He was so handsome. It was unfair. 

"We should talk. I need to explain a few things." Sakura almost shook her head but caught herself. At this point, it was better to just get it over with. 

"Okay," she walked to the bed and sat down, looking up at him to do the same. Instead, he pulled the chair next to the bed and sat down. He looked tense. 

"Last night was something very new to me. I've never," he paused and Sakura looked up to find him blushing. Okay, that was cute. 

"I've never just given up control like that before. Most of my sexual encounters have been, ones where I've controlled the situation. My partners have always been willing to let me have my way. It's always been consensual," he rushed to explain and Sakura tried to hide her smile. 

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've never trusted anyone in my life to let them take control," his confession was soft, almost a whisper. Sakura's heart skipped a beat. Oh. 

"When I was younger, my very first relationships were with older people. I didn't come out of them all okay. I was lonely and I thought that the momentary happiness those relationships brought me were better than being all by myself. I had very strange ideas about love then. And then the first serious relationship I had with someone I really liked… I managed to fuck things up." 

It was heartbreaking. He had to face so much loss at such a young age. Sakura wanted to reach out and hug Kakashi. He'd been alone, and from what she knew, he had few friends. She was well aware of his old nicknames, cold-blooded Kakashi. Friend killer Kakashi. 

That young boy must have been such easy prey for predators. And there were so many of them amongst shinobi. He had no one to tell him better, to show him that there was a better option. 

"I'm so…"

He cut Sakura off mid-sentence. He didn't want her pity. "I need to tell you this because I don't want the bitterness between us again, Sakura. This person, he loved me a lot, always put my needs before his. And every time I look back at things, it felt like I was taking advantage of him. Even though he keeps reassuring me that wasn't so."

Him? Oh. That was something she couldn't have guessed about Kakashi. 

"Anyway, back then I was troubled and on a dark path. And I pushed him away because I was afraid he was going to leave me. He might have, but it was possible that he wouldn't leave me. But I thought it was better to distance myself from him because I didn't want to feel the loss again. This was after Minato sensei's death. I was… Obviously not dealing well with things."

Sakura tried to process the things he was saying. It seemed to make sense now, all of it. For someone who'd been alone most of his life, with so few people to guide him or help him, it was a wonder he had turned out sane at all. 

"It's been years and he's forgiven me but i still feel guilty about that. I ruined something that was perfectly fine just because I was afraid I'd lose him. And since then, I've stayed away from anything meaningful. Because everyone who grows closer to me, something bad starts happening to them."

Sakura was holding her breath for his next words. She didn't know what she was expecting. 

Kakashi chuckled but there was no humour to it."I've tried. I've tried so hard to not think about you. But you're always making your way back into my thoughts. And I keep imagining things. You're so young and beautiful, Sakura. You could have anyone in the world. Why me? I'm a pathetic excuse of a human being. Tell me, why doesn't it matter to you that I'm so much older? That I was once your teacher? Don't you worry about what other people will think? Does it not scare you?"

"Scare me?" Sakura was slightly taken aback by the sudden change of topic. She let out a breathless laugh. "No, it doesn't scare me. It doesn't matter to me that you're so much older. We're both adults and I don't care what other people will think or say. It's none of their business."

"You're not a pathetic human being. You're one of the best people I know. You've saved so many lives. You've saved my life so many times. You've always been there for me. You taught Naruto his ninja way. You helped us save the world." Sakura scoffed angrily at him. 

"You need to stop the pity party. I'm not trying to belittle what your life has been, but do you just never look at the good things? You have Gai Sensei, and Yamato Sensei, Iruka Sensei. You have so many friends who made it through. You have your students, your team. You've saved all of us, time and again. Does that mean nothing to you?"

Kakashi looked shocked at her angry outburst and Sakura took a deep breath to calm herself. 

"So what if you were my teacher? That was long ago. And you're not anymore. I'm sorry to say this, but we're equals now, Sensei," there was a glint of mischief in Sakura's eyes and Kakashi chuckled. Her heart was beating so loudly, she couldn't even hear her own thoughts. But she needed to let it all out now. 

"All I care about is that you've always been there to protect me. To help me out. You've gone out of your way to save my life time and again. When Sasuke left, you were there. With a shoulder to cry on and your warm friendship. I find comfort in your company, Sensei. I like spending time with you. I even enjoy your dorky jokes."

"But I don't want to force you into something you're not ready for. I can't put all my effort into this and not have you even try. I understand you're afraid of things going bad. But what if they don't, this time? You won't know if you don't give it a try. You're robbing yourself of potential happiness by not even giving this a try."

Kakashi was silent for a long moment and Sakura felt her heart thundering in her chest. He was stuck in a loop of self hatred. He was so self destructive. 

"What if…" 

"There's always a what if, Kakashi. You can't control everything. Sometimes you need to let things happen to you." Sakura was blurting things because she was afraid of what he was going to say next. He was going to tell her that he just couldn't. 

"Will you be patient with me?" 

"What?" Sakura looked at him, confused. Was he actually saying… 

"I asked if you'll be patient with me. We're away from the village, from people who will judge us. We can figure things out here. We can take it one day at a time."

Sakura's eyes were about to bug out of her head. Did he really just say that? Were her ears deceiving her? 

"I like spending time with you too, Sakura. You've got this halo of joy around you. It makes me want to be a part of it," he reached out to cup her face and Sakura leaned into it. "I guess I'll have to take you at your word, huh. You're all grown up and can make your own decisions now. I'll respect that."

"Sensei…" Sakura's head was whirling. She couldn't make sense of what was happening. 

"You must stop calling me that. We're equals, yes? I want you to call me by name. We can leave the title for bedroom related activities." There was a dark glint in his eyes and a wicked smile on his face and Sakura felt blood rush to her cheeks. 

"It feels weird to call you Kakashi," she managed to say. 

"Try Sukea. I hope you won't forget it this time," he teased and Sakura punched him lightly. 

There was a ping from the table. The blood had been finally analysed. Sakura shot up from the bed to check the results. 

It was strange, the compound that was in their system was unlike something she'd ever seen. It's effects had been similar to an opium dosage, but the composition of this drug was different. She needed to run a few more tests. But she didn't have the equipment. She needed to send a sample back to Konoha. 

"I've never seen this drug before. We need to send a sample to Konoha. I don't have the equipment to analyze it." 

"I'll summon Pakkun and get him to take it."

"We don't have enough of the drug. I only have our blood samples for now."

"Then we'll have to go get some. We'll leave once you're ready." 

Nodding briefly, Sakura rushed to the bathroom to shower and change. As she stood in front of the mirror, she studied herself. She had marks all over her chest and a few on her neck too. Looking at the dark red marks sent a rush of heat between her legs. 

He had just agreed to being together. Well, Sakura didn't completely understand what they had agreed to. He had told her they were going to figure it out. The very thought filled her with so much excitement that Sakura didn't care about the rest. 

For a second, she wished that this mission wouldn't end.


	9. Risky Ventures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I keep disappearing, I have too many unfinished projects now. These are tough times, I hope you all are doing well.

The putrid smell of the cave had travelled right up Sakura's nose and settled in her stomach. She wanted to vomit. It was horrible in here, the only light coming from the entrance that they were far away from. 

Soon after she had showered and gotten ready, there had been a knock on the door. It had been Rei, with the boy from yesterday. And another man named Sato. He had told them that they were going on a job. They were supposed to meet some clients from across the border. They had travelled for two hours and finally reached this cave in the middle of the forest. Rei had signalled them to hide inside and not make their presence known. 

Sakura and Kakashi were hiding in a far corner of the cave, from where they could easily observe everything that was happening. It was a few minutes past the meeting time and these clients were still not here. Sakura wondered what kind clients these were who were meeting in such a shady place. Was there about to be a drug deal? Were they going to meet the suppliers? She wished she could talk to Kakashi but Rei had signalled to them that he didn't want a word out of them. 

Kakashi was standing a few feet away from her, his eyes trained on their new friends. Even in the dimly lit cave, she could see his sharp jawline. She couldn't help but remember the previous night, and she felt herself shudder with want. She had wrapped a scarf around her neck hastily when Rei had knocked. But not before he had given her a creepy grin when he noticed the marks. A soft blush crept along her neck and she wanted to reach out and grab him. 

What had he meant when he said they could try out this thing here where nobody knew them? Did he want a no strings attached thing that would be over as soon as they went back to Konoha? Or did he want something more serious? She wanted to ask. But more than that, she wanted to touch him. She inched closer to him until she was right next to him, nestled in his side. He turned to look down at her and Sakura blushed at his questioning gaze. She reached up on her tiptoes and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. He smiled at the gesture and cupped her face in his palm. He kissed her softly and ended it too soon for Sakura's liking. "Later," he whispered as his hands travelled down her back to give her ass a squeeze. Sakura whimpered softly but turned her attention back to the front of the cave. 

There was a soft rustling and two figures appeared at the entrance of the cave. They both had scarves wrapped around the lower half of their faces. Sakura snapped to attention as they slowly approached Rei. Rei watched as they came closer but stopped at a safe distance. 

“Where’s the product?” one of the two newcomers asked. 

“Right here. I just need some proof of identity,” Rei crossed his arms and stood defiantly. 

The two men glanced at each other and became terse. The other man stepped forward, “Look, Rei. We’ve travelled for a long while. You promised us the product and you assured us it’s the best quality that can be found anywhere in Konoha or Suna. We’re taking you at your word even if your price is so high. Give it to us and we’ll be on our way.”

Rei barked out a short laugh. “Come on, guys. I don’t think my request is that unreasonable. Is it, you guys?” He looked at the two men accompanying him and they shook their head. 

“Right. We’re not carrying a damn identity card or anything, Rei.” One of the Suna guys said and this time Rei laughed harder. 

“Just give me the password that was communicated to you. I’m sure you must know it since it was one of the first things we decided on.”

There was a nervous pause as the two Suna guys looked at each other. It seemed that they had missed out on something. 

Rei was chuckling softly as the two tried to decide what to do. One of them started to slowly back away but it was already too late. In a flash Sato was behind him, pressing a kunai to his throat. The other one fumbled and fell to the ground and Rei was upon him in seconds. 

“I knew something was wrong with you two. I felt it the moment you arrived. Sukea, come here, will you,” Rei called out and Kakashi and Sakura both stepped out of the shadows. 

“It was an ambush, wasn’t it? You had no plans to sell.” The man who had fallen to the ground spat out. 

Rei laughed. “Of course I have plans to sell. But not to a damned Suna anbu.”

The man’s eyes widened in horror as he finally realized that Rei had figured it all out. “How did you know?”

“I have my ways,” Rei grinned down at him. Everything about this was amusing to him. He looked over at Kakashi and nodded at him. “I’ll leave it to you to finish them off. Call it an initiation ritual if you will.”

Sakura almost gasped in horror. Everything had gone downhill pretty quickly. Not only did they now know that Rei wasn’t a bumbling idiot, he wanted them to murder two anbu in cold blood. Instead of finding out more about their operation, Kakashi and Sakura were going to have blood on their hands. She grabbed Kakashi’s arm and tried to pull him back softly. She didn’t want him to kill the anbu. But Kakashi walked ahead without any falter in his steps. 

“How do you know they’re anbu?” Kakashi asked and Sakura could breathe again. Maybe they could somehow save the two guys. Anbu or not, she didn’t want to see anyone dying today. 

“You’re here to follow my orders, not question me.” The humour had disappeared from Rei’s voice. 

“I just want to confirm.” Kakashi’s voice was firm and unwavering. Sakura hoped he was thinking of a way to save the two. 

Rei pursed his lips and looked at Kakashi angrily. But Kakashi didn’t move or looked like he was about to change his mind. “If you insist on knowing, we’ve known for a while. One of our messages got intercepted by these idiots a while ago. They captured the messenger and our clients from the other end managed to get in touch with us by other means. It was really their own stupidity for letting us know that they were on to us.”

Kakashi crossed his arms and stayed put. “That’s not proof enough.” 

“Fine. Boy, look for their tattoos.” He said through gritted teeth. The boy came up to the one Sato was threatening with the kunai. He paused for a second as he tried to figure out how to reveal the tattoo on the guy’s arm. It involved taking off a lot of layers, so he took a shortcut and cut the guy’s sleeve off. The man howled in pain and Sakura found herself flinching. She was hoping the tattoo wasn’t there. 

There was now a deep gash across his arm where the boy had pressed his kunai. He struggled in Sato’s grasp and found the kunai pressing to his throat a little more insistently. There indeed was that telltale swirling red mark across his arm. 

“Are you satisfied now?” Rei sneered at Kakashi. 

Sakura tightened her grip on Kakashi’s arm. She didn’t want him to do it. But it was too early in the mission to jeopardize it like this. She relaxed her grip on him and he advanced towards the two men. 

The man who had fallen down was now standing up and ready to defend himself with a small tanto. Rei had moved back and stood there watching, a creepy smile on his face as if he couldn’t wait for the show to start. Sakura felt sick to her stomach. 

“Don’t struggle and I’ll make this painless for you.” It was the only thing Kakashi spoke before lunging forward. His movements, as always, were too quick to follow. And before the guy even knew it, he was falling to the ground, a kunai sticking out of his chest. 

Rei looked momentarily stunned as he processed what had happened. He grinned, “Now do the other one.” Kakashi looked at him angrily but moved towards the other guy nonetheless. He struggled momentarily in Sato’s grasp as he saw his teammate fall. Then suddenly he was making furious hand signs and Kakashi jumped back just in time to avoid a huge fireball. He simultaneously made the hand signs to put up a mud wall between them and the fireball. 

They all crouched behind the wall to escape the heat of the fire. It stopped within moments, however, because they heard a sharp grunt and another thud. Kakashi brought down to the wall to discover that Sato had driven the kunai in the guy’s throat. 

“Took care of this one for you, Sukea,” Sato grinned. It was almost as creepy as Rei’s. 

“Check them both and dispose of their bodies. We’re moving back to the village now.” Rei instructed Sato and the boy. He pointed at Kakashi and Sakura. They followed him as he made his way out of the cave and into the forest. 

They travelled in silence for a few minutes until Sakura asked a question that had been bothering her. “If you knew that it wasn’t your client but the anbu, why did you continue with this meeting. What if it had been a trap?” 

“You think you’re a clever one, huh? We’ve known it all for a while. We were the ones setting up the trap. And even if they brought the whole cavalry, we would have taken out every last one of them.” He spat angrily. 

Sakura had the urge to roll her eyes but she chose not to respond. “So you never brought any product?” 

“Of course we didn’t. The plan was to always eliminate them. These idiots can keep sending their men and we’ll keep taking them out one by one. We lost three members because of this one bastard last month. After that, we amped up our security and made better arrangements.”

Could the shinobi he was talking about be the Leaf ninja who had sent them the coded message? Sakura wanted to ask but couldn’t think of a way to say it without raising suspicion. 

“So Suna authorities have known about the operation for a while? I thought it was all below the radar,” Kakashi asked.

“No, no. That one was from Konoha. He was a tough one. He gave Sato an ugly scar too. But the Suna ninja have found out about us too. It’s bothersome, but not enough to rattle us.”

Sakura hadn’t known the Leaf shinobi who had sent the message across but she was glad he hadn’t gone out without a fight. 

“So, what exactly is the product?” Sakura asked suddenly. She had been wondering about it and said it aloud before she could stop herself. She really hoped Rei wouldn’t lose it at her question. 

Instead, he just chuckled. “I’ll show it to you when we get back to the village.”

The trip back was short and Rei took them straight towards the same building they had been in the other day. Instead of taking the back entrance towards the bar, he led them through the front and up a narrow staircase. Kakashi and Sakura followed his lead with Sato and the boy in tow. 

The staircase was lit by one sole lightbulb and the hallway they reached was no better. The windows along the front of the building were all boarded up to keep the light out. Rei led them into the first door that they came across. 

It took Sakura several moments to process what exactly was there. The room was large with rows and rows of tables stuffed into it. There were fluorescent lights dangling from the ceiling but even that didn’t help brighten the murky atmosphere of the room. The windows in here were boarded up and all the skylights were blackened out. At every table sat a mix of young children and women, and there were too many crammed at one table. 

There were piles of a white powdery substance at the centre of each table. The women and children were measuring and weighing it out and packaging it. They were all working fast, putting the substance away within minutes. As they watched, one of the trays with the powder emptied and a woman got up and fetched another from an adjoining room. 

“That’s the product.” Rei was practically beaming as he showed off his treasure to Kakashi and Sakura.

“That’s…” Kakashi was at a loss of words. The magnitude of this thing was staggering. 

Sakura was quicker to recover. “If that’s the amount you’re producing in a day, it means you must be supplying it to a lot of places. We didn’t know the scale of the operation.” Sakura gave a coy smile, as if impressed. And Rei gave her a cheeky grin. 

“We’ve been supplying here and there for a while. The war made it so much easier to expand. But ever since that damned Leaf shinobi, we’ve had a few hiccups. I would have liked to tie him up and cut off bits of him until he told us everything. But Sato had to kill him in self-defence. What a waste.”

Sakura’s expression turned to horror as he kept speaking and Kakashi gave her a warning look. She pressed her lips together and turned away. She needed to quietly grab one of these tiny bags of powder to send as a sample. Now she just needed a distraction.   
“What exactly is this?” Kakashi reached out to the nearest table and pinched a little between his fingers. Rei didn’t stop him as he sniffed and put a little on his tongue. 

“It’s something new,” Rei said proudly. “I’ve heard the guy who came up with it was working on it for years. He created this just after the war. It works instantly. You won’t believe the effects it has.”

“What effects does it have?” Kakashi asked. Rei smiled again and Sakura took it as her cue to reach forward and grab one of the small packets nearest to her. It was next to a kid who couldn’t have been older than ten. He was wearing a torn shirt and his face was streaked with dirt. As Sakura picked the packet, his hand shot out and caught hers. Sakura panicked and tried to free herself before Rei would notice. She looked down at the kid in panic, only to see him shake his head vehemently. His eyes were large and almost full of tears as Sakura tore her hand away. “I don’t want to be punished,” he murmured softly and pleaded with her. Sakura felt her heart lurch and debated with herself whether to put the packet back or not. Before she could decide, Rei had turned towards her and was saying something. 

“Let’s get back to the bar. I have to report this to the bosses. They must be waiting.”

They followed Rei out of the room and Sakura looked back to find the kid crying silently as he worked on packaging the next one. She felt guilty but if she had missed this opportunity, they would lose precious time. The sooner they found out all about this operation, the sooner she could free the child. That was the thought that gave her solace. 

Moments later they were in the bar. Rei asked them to sit at an empty table and left to talk to his bosses. It was still as full as the last time they’d been there. 

“Can I get drunk? This whole day has given me a headache,” she murmured as they were finally alone. She didn’t know why she was asking Kakashi’s permission to get drunk, she was an adult. 

Kakashi gave her a sympathetic look. His face was so easy to read without the mask, it was almost funny. “It’s alright, I guess. I might just get a few myself. I’ll go and get us some.”

“Please don’t bring that awful sake from last time. I really didn’t like the aftermath of it.”

Kakashi grinned suddenly and Sakura’s eyes widened as she realized the aftermath he was thinking about. A blush crept up her face and she groaned. “You know that’s not what I was talking about.”

“Mm. Even if you were, I bet I could change your mind about things if you give me the chance,” he gave her a sly smile. Sakura scoffed, was he really flirting with her right now?

“I’d like to see you try,” she grinned back. Kakashi chuckled as he got up to fetch their drinks. Fortunately, he brought whisky that didn’t taste as bad. 

“The Suna guys did quite a stupid thing. I don’t know what their end goal was here. Were they trying to get the product? Or were they just trying to eliminate some low-level threats? Either way, they rushed into things without a lot of planning.” Kakashi said after he took a few sips of the whisky. 

Sakura played with the rim of her glass. “Doesn’t mean they deserved that. We could have tried to get them out or something.”

“We couldn’t put the mission at risk, you know that. The mission comes above all of that.”

Sakura frowned, she knew that. She was just feeling bad about things. She didn’t want a lecture. 

“And what about the sweatshop we saw? I want to kill these bastards. They had children in there. Little kids who should be out playing and having fun,” she angrily gripped the glass and looked at Kakashi with anguish in her eyes.

He slid closer to her on the bench and put an arm around her waist, pulling her in for a soft hug. “Hey, we’ll free them soon. Now keep your voice down. You never know who’s listening.” 

Sakura sighed and melted into his embrace. She didn’t know how he could say things so matter of fact, see such cruelty and not even bat an eye. But she was glad that he was here with his strong chest and supportive arms. She felt him rest his cheek on her hair and felt the tension dissipate from her. 

They were going to take these bastards down, no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I feel this chapter isn't really up to the mark and I hope to write the next one better :(


	10. An Urgent Need

Sakura was successfully tipsy enough to push the events of the day at the back of her mind. They had ordered some food from the bar, stuff to munch on, and Sakura suddenly realized how empty her stomach was. She needed a real, home-cooked meal. This mission was really turning out to be the worst. 

Except for that one bit who was currently lounging on the bench next to her. They had fallen into a comfortable silence after a while and were just sitting there waiting for Rei. He had been gone for over an hour now. Sakura slumped forward on the table, her forehead hitting it with a soft thud. She was hungry, and now that they had to wait for so long, quite annoyed too. 

“Can we just go, please?” she turned her head, so her cheek was planted on the table and looked up at Kakashi. 

His face lit up with the cutest smile Sakura had ever seen on him. “You look adorable, Mitsuko-chan.” 

Sakura blushed and sat up straight, trying to will away the embarrassment. She had no idea his genuine compliments could make her so happy and embarrassed at the same time. She made a face at him, “I’m hungry, not adorable.” 

Kakashi chuckled. “Well, you’re still adorable. I promise I’ll treat you with the best this village has to offer.” 

Sakura huffed at the memory of Kakashi always stiffing his team whenever it came to paying for meals. “Yeah sure, you’ll treat me. You’re a whole new man in this village, aren’t you?”

Kakashi looked shocked for a second then he laughed. “Back then I had to teach you the ways of the world. And one of the ways of the world is that people often disappear when it’s time to pay the bill.”

“You’re unbelievable,” Sakura shook her head with a small smile. 

“I’ll cook you a nice meal if that would make you happy?” Kakashi turned towards her and gave her a soft smile.

“Oh, you can cook? When did that happen?” Sakura rolled her eyes.

“I’m a man of many hidden talents, Mit-suko-chan,” Kakashi leaned in close and whispered next to Sakura’s ear. She felt goosebumps rising along her skin at the way his breath tickled her. 

“And what would those be?” Sakura felt her breath quicken as Kakashi looked her in the eyes. He leaned forward and put a finger under her chin, tilting her head. His lips were mere inches from hers.

“I’d rather show them to you,” he said. Sakura felt her eyes flutter in anticipation of the kiss. But it never came. She felt his hot breath recede and opened her eyes to find him giving her a wicked grin. 

He was just toying with her. She was an idiot for getting so riled up so easily. Hadn’t she had enough of him the other night? The answer was definitely no. Because every time she looked at him, she felt the urge to climb him. It was her own damn fault. 

She poked her tongue at him angrily and he grinned even wider. Sakura made a face as she took her drink and downed it. If she wasn’t getting any food, she was just going to have to drink the hunger away. 

“Come on now, don’t drink so much,” Kakashi said softly, trying to take Sakura’s glass away. She looked at him angrily and he backed off. Before Sakura could form a biting retort, she heard Rei’s crass voice. 

“You guys are still waiting here. I thought you’d have left,” he came up their table and grinned. He looked very drunk. 

Sakura felt anger bubble up inside her. They could have left? They had been waiting for nothing! She balled up her fist and was ready to punch the last remaining bit of conscious thought from Rei’s head. But she felt Kakashi’s hand holding her down as she tried to get up.

“Rei-san. We were waiting for your instructions. I thought you said you had something to tell us,” Kakashi said calmly but sternly. Rei was too drunk to actually take notice of the edge in Kakashi’s voice. 

“Oh yess,” Rei slurred as he tried to process the words he had to say. “I have a surprise for you.” There was a massive, leery grin on his face as he swayed on his feet. He grabbed Kakashi’s glass, which was still full and gulped it down. He smacked his lips and looked at Kakashi as if daring him to argue. He deflated a little when he received no response but a steely stare. 

“Follow me,” he said grumpily and started to make his way out of the bar. “Hey, Soka, come here.” The boy they had seen hanging around for so long came up to Rei. As always, there was no expression on his face as Rei tugged him and dragged him along. 

“Let’s go,” Kakashi murmured. Rei expected them to just follow his commands and it was pissing Sakura off. 

Rei led them towards the central part of the village, that Sakura assumed was the market. Maybe they could find a decent place to eat some food later. But as they walked through the streets lined with shops, Sakura realized she must give up that hope too. 

The entire place was desolate. The streets were dusty, there was trash strewn everywhere. There were a few shops that sold wares. There were only a couple of stores that had any customers, and those were the food stores. And even those looked dilapidated. There were a couple of food carts but none of the food looked appetizing. 

As they walked, Sakura saw a man just lying on the side of the road. He was curled up next to a shuttered shop, covered with a tattered blanket. Sakura had the urge to go up to him and find out if he was okay. But when she fell a step behind the others, Rei looked back to ensure she was following. 

Every face she could see was listless. They came across more people just sitting on the street, some were begging, but the rest were just there. Sakura felt agony tear at her heart. The entire village seemed to be in ruins, a mere skeleton of what it probably used to be. And it was all because of these heartless bastards who had turned it into a drug factory. She wanted to grab Rei and bash his head in.

Before long they had exited the market and turned down towards a street with a line of small houses. Rei led them to one that didn’t look like it was falling apart. It was a small house, with a tiny garden in the front. The house looked like it needed a lot of work to be fit to live in. Rei opened the small gate and led them through the courtyard which was full of overgrown weeds. 

Sakura wondered what was going on. Why had he brought them to this house? As Rei tried to unlock the door, he fumbled. And Soka took the keys out of his hand without a word and opened the door. Rei gave Soka an ugly look and shoved him inside roughly. Then he turned to Kakashi and Sakura and gave them a big smile.

“Surprise!” he yelled. “Welcome to your new home.”

“What?” Sakura said in disbelief. 

“Did you not hear me, girl? I said this is your new home.” Rei had an angry expression on his face. He was expecting to be applauded for the action and not be met with disbelief.

“Rei-San. We didn’t ask for this,” Kakashi said softly. 

Rei narrowed his eyes angrily. “You should be grateful for us. We gave you a job, we’re giving you protection. We could have easily killed you.” 

Sakura took a step back at the poisonous way he was talking. But Kakashi stood his ground even as Rei’s chakra flared due to his muddled state of mind. 

“We are grateful for that. But we are also providing you services. There is no need for you to pretend like you’re doing us a favour.”

“You bastard. I will fucking kill you,” Rei screamed and started to charge at Kakashi but the young boy pulled him back. Soka’s grip on Rei’s arm was tight and Rei glared at him. 

“This is why they told you not to get drunk. You idiot,” Soka spit out angrily. Rei struggled to get free of his grip and glared at the boy. Then he leaned forward and whispered something in his ear that Sakura couldn’t make out. Rei deflated within seconds and his shoulders drooped. 

“Whatever, I’m leaving,” he grumbled and made his way out of the house, making a point of shoving Kakashi with his shoulder as he walked away.

Both Kakashi and Sakura looked at Soka and he gave an apologetic, tight-lipped smile. “He’s a good shinobi but his behaviour can be bad for business. That is why they give him the low-level tasks. Anyway, the bosses have given this house as a gift to you two. You are part of the family now and they want to treat you as such. And living in the shoddy inn can’t be good for a young couple like you, can it?” He gave a saccharine smile as he said the last sentence and Sakura was immediately reminded of Sai’s smile. It was the same, detached and unaffected fake smile. She felt a shiver go down her spine at the boy’s behaviour. 

“Well, that is very gracious of them,” Sakura spoke up. She had a fake smile of her own but hers was definitely more convincing. “It’s better than living in a cramped inn, right, Darling?” 

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her but returned her smile. “Why don’t you give us a tour, Soka?” 

The boy nodded and led them through the house. There were two bedrooms, only one of them had a bed. There was one small wardrobe and a tiny dresser in that room. The kitchen had a few pots and pans but it was clean enough. Everything was shiny and clean as if someone had gone through the inside of a house with a fine-toothed comb. It was in stark contrast to the outside, which looked like no one had been inside for ages. It was definitely suspicious. 

As they walked around the house, looking at every room, Sakura felt a strange feeling in her heart. The house gave off a sparse and bare vibe but it could probably be made cosy with just a little effort. It just needed to be lived in. And the thought of living in a house, with Kakashi, being lovers or whatever they were right now; it was making her heart thump madly. She knew something was wrong with this place but suddenly all she could think about was that she was going to live with Kakashi. Sometimes, she cursed the one-track mind she had. 

But the thought made Sakura feel giddy with happiness. When she looked at the bed, she imagined herself waking up every morning in it, wrapped in Kakashi’s arms. The sunlight would stream through the window and he’d wake her up with kisses. Or the both of them huddled in that tiny kitchen, cooking a meal together. The daydreams were running through her head and Sakura found it hard to pull herself away from them. 

She followed the two men back to the front door, zoned out and not paying attention to their conversation. Not focusing on where she was going, she walked right into Kakashi’s wide back. She pulled herself back, embarrassed at her goof-up, but Kakashi said nothing. There was only a hint of a smile on his face as Sakura blushed and mumbled a sorry. Thankfully, Soka wasn’t paying attention to them as he walked outside.

“I can go get your things from the inn and you can settle here right away,” he turned around and said to the couple. 

Sakura and Kakashi looked at each other with a bemused smile. Sakura shook her head, “Thank you, but we can do it on our own. We have paid for the room in the inn, so we’ll just stay the night there today.”

The boy shrugged nonchalantly and handed the keys to Sakura. 

“You can contact me if you want any help,” he began to walk away.

“Sure,” Sakura smiled at him as he waved at them. “Any chance we can thank the bosses in person for this gift?”

The boy gave it a moment of thought as he stood there. “I can arrange that, yes.”

Sakura gave him another sweet smile and the boy blushed slightly this time. That was a funny sight to see as he turned red in the face and turned away sheepishly. 

“Hey, wait up,” Kakashi called out as he stepped out on the road. “Are there any good places to eat around here?”

Soka nodded and gestured for them to follow him. “I’ll take you there.” 

They fell into step behind him. He took them through the market and past the bar. Soon they were in an area where there were few buildings. He stopped in front of a place that looked too posh to be a part of the same village. The doubles-storeyed building had a front of tinted glass doors. There was no sign on it, but it had neon lights flashing all around it. It looked shady and cool at the same time. Sakura didn’t care what it was as long as they served some decent food. She’d even settle for an absolutely average stir fry right now. 

“There, just go in the back part. The food is pretty good here,” Soka pointed at the building. He gave Sakura a sheepish look and Sakura wondered what that was about. 

Sakura smiled at him warmly and he blushed again. She wanted to laugh. “Thank you. We’ll see you around, I guess.”

“Yeah, enjoy.” Soka rushed out of there and Sakura gave Kakashi a puzzled smile and shrugged. They entered opened the glass doors and entered the building. 

They were immediately assaulted with loud music blaring from speakers. The lights were dim as they walked inside. And then they found out why Soka had rushed out of there immediately. The place was a strip club. 

There was one central stage where there were three dancers gyrating on the stage. One of them was in the process of taking her top off. Sakura felt a fierce blush colouring her cheeks and she looked at Kakashi. He looked nonchalant as ever, his eyes taking that lazy half-lidded look. There were also three, small circular pedestals with cages across the room. There was one naked woman dancing in each of these cages. There were men surrounding these pedestals, and if not for the cages, they would be all over the women. Sakura felt uncomfortable as she took in the scene in front of her. She didn’t want to step in further. 

“Do you want to go?” she heard Kakashi’s voice softly whisper next to her ear. She was rooted to the spot and she looked up to find Kakashi giving her a concerned look. 

Sakura shook her head suddenly. “He said to go in the back part. I’m too hungry to walk anymore.” 

Kakashi smiled at her as she made a sad face. He took her hand in his, linking their fingers and Sakura felt her heart skip a beat. His touch was sending tingles along her skin. How did he manage to do that every time?

She didn’t get time to think as he tugged her along the length of the club. They could see a small partition in the back, which presumably led to the section where they served food. The floor was crowded with drunk men and Sakura tried her best to dodge their creepy touches. Kakashi suddenly let go of her hand to put a protective arm around her as they walked. Sakura felt slightly dizzy at the contact.

She didn’t need his protection, she could very well handle herself. Any other man doing this would have made Sakura twist his arm and try to rip it off. But this was Kakashi, the man who had always protected her when she had not been strong enough. Who had stepped in to save her from herself at times. She could never despise him for it. 

And it didn’t help that she was in love with him. This wasn’t just a crush anymore. When he had sat down and lowered his walls for her, when he had been vulnerable in front of her; something had shifted inside Sakura. She had felt the need to take his pain away. She had wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold him until he felt better. But that was just the old Sakura who thought she could fix a person with her love. 

Kakashi didn’t want that of her. She wondered what he actually wanted out of this. He had been so vague about things. This time, she wanted to wait for a real answer before she assumed things for herself and put herself in a world of pain and hurt. 

Sakura managed to breathe when they reached the secluded dining area. There were private booths with small screen doors along the length of the room. It probably wasn’t for dining and Sakura wondered if there were people mixing food with pleasure here. The idea seemed gross almost. 

They were greeted by a server dressed in a crop top and a miniskirt. She smiled widely at them and took them to the last booth. She opened the screen door, let them in and handed them menus. Then she said she’d be there with water and left them alone, closing the door behind her. 

“This place, is really weird,” Sakura said as soon as she was alone. Kakashi was sat opposite to her and he gave her a cute smile. 

“I thought you were so hungry that anything will do,” Kakashi teased. Was that sexual? Was Sakura too hungry, drunk, and overthinking? She decided to let it go and simply rolled her eyes at him. She looked at the menu and picked the first few things she liked without deciding to wait too much. She rang the little bell that beckoned the server impatiently. 

When the woman came, Sakura hurriedly counted off what she wanted, not giving Kakashi a chance to order his food. But the waitress turned towards him and gave him a flirty smile. She leaned forward towards Kakashi, a little too close for Sakura’s taste, and asked him what he wanted. Sakura knew it was ridiculous and that she should not, but she felt that pang of jealousy in her stomach nonetheless when Kakashi smiled back at the woman. 

When she was gone, Sakura fixed Kakashi with an ugly stare. 

“Are you alright?” he tilted his head and gave Sakura a concerned look. Fuck, she hated how he could just do that, look so adorable without even trying. His maskless face was way too honest and open. And Sakura was enjoying this vulnerability that came with it. 

“I’m fine. I’m just… not in a great mood. This mission sucks,” Sakura crossed her arms across her chest and huffed. 

“Well, I hope I don’t belong to the part that sucks,” Kakashi gave her a puppy-eyed look that made Sakura both want to console him and also want to punch him. This man was so frustrating. 

“No, but you are getting on my nerves, Sensei.” 

“Ah, don’t call me that. I prefer darling now.” There was a twinkle in his eyes and Sakura felt an involuntary blush on her face when she remembered that she had, in fact, called him darling without any need to do that. 

“Did you like our new home, darling?” If he wanted to play that game, Sakura didn’t mind giving it right back to him.

The expression on his face suddenly changed into a serious frown. “They want to keep us under surveillance. I’m sure the house is bugged. It looked too neat and clean to be just normal.” 

Sakura wanted to be mad about the change of topic, but she couldn’t. The mission came first. “We have no option but to accept their offer. How will we manage if they’re keeping an eye on us all the time?” 

“We’ll work around it. They have destroyed this entire village just to make these drugs. I wonder how it hasn’t become a much bigger deal by now.”

“Probably because they keep killing any shinobi they consider a threat? They don’t trust us either, that much is clear.”   
“Yes. Too bad I was unable to grab a sample of that drug. Rei had eyes on me at all times,” Kakashi sighed.

“Well, then I have some good news for you, darling,” Sakura said with a sly smile. Kakashi looked up at her to ask her what it was but then the door opened and the food arrived. 

Sakura dove in immediately, reaching out and grabbing the first thing she saw. She dug into the tempura prawns, stuffing an entire prawn in her mouth in one go. She almost groaned in relief when she felt the juices of the prawn explode in her mouth. Kakashi gave her an amused look and proceeded to eat with much more finesse and grace. Sakura didn’t care. She wolfed down the food until she felt sated. 

When she was finally full enough, she leaned back and sighed. The food had actually been pretty delicious. She hadn’t expected it to be. Sakura guessed she’d have to thank Soka for the suggestion and she was definitely not going to think of him as a creepy little teenager anymore. Okay, maybe he was creepy, but not in a perverted way. 

“So, what is the good news?” Kakashi asked when the waitress had finally cleared their table. Sakura had completely forgotten about it as she had busied her mouth and brain in finishing off all the food. 

Sakura grinned at Kakashi and reached into her pocket. She pulled out the little packet and showed it off. “I’ve got your sample right here. Those idiots weren’t looking at me for even a moment. They keep underestimating me and I don’t even mind it. Because I’m going to break their faces when the time comes.”

Kakashi chuckled at Sakura’s wicked grin. “Well, aren’t you a good girl.”

It shouldn’t have had that effect on her, but when he said “good girl” Sakura’s mind went into a different place altogether. Her jaw dropped slightly as he continued to stare at her and she was sure that she wasn’t just imagining the heat in his eyes. 

“Are you going to give me a reward for being a good girl then?” The words slipped out of Sakura’s mouth before she could even register them. If it hadn’t been sexual before, it definitely was now. 

Kakashi’s gaze turned dark as he registered her words.

“Good girls get what they ask for.” His response made Sakura shudder and she bit her lip to ground herself. The desire on his face was completely bare, his jaw set tight and his lips parted.

Sakura didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know where to take this anymore. Before she could think too much, the waitress reappeared with the bill. She tried to flirt with Kakashi again, trying to shove her cleavage in his face. But he continued to stare at Sakura with the same dark intensity. 

Sakura felt herself growing hotter and the aching need returned to the apex of her legs. She wanted to get out of here immediately. 

As if reading her mind, Kakashi pulled out some cash and left it on the table. He got up and extended his hand to Sakura. She stood up on shaky legs and followed him once again as he weaved through the crowd. This time, his touch felt infinitely hotter. 

Sakura couldn’t wait to be alone with him. There were so many scenarios running in her head. The promise of a reward was just too exciting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't know where this is going at this point. Was I planning to write plot? Nope. Am I invested in it now. Yes. I hope you guys liked it, I'm not putting my best efforts, here, I'll be honest. Because I never planned for it to go this way. Anyway, I appreciate all feedback. Thanks for reading!


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